The email avalanche at the end of the holidays and those forgotten passwords

11.08.2022 - After your relaxing summer holiday, it's time to go back to work. There are various login credentials and passwords to be entered, and there is a large backlog of emails in your mailbox. The NCSC provides tips on how to avoid stressing over multiple passwords, plus a warning about being careful when dealing with a full mailbox, as it could also contain fraudulent emails.

As promised by some holiday companies, a nice relaxing holiday can make you forget your day-to-day cares completely. This is also true for passwords. Once back from the holiday, many of us find it hard to remember all our passwords. Often, the harder you try, the more difficult it is to remember. After all, there are quite a few of them, as we are supposed to use different passwords for each application. If you don't manage to remember your password, then the only thing left is to reset the various passwords, which can be cumbersome.

To avoid you having to go through this rigmarole next time, the NCSC recommends taking the opportunity to think about your password management, set a separate and strong password for each service, and store them in a password manager. The big advantage is that you only have to remember one password.

  • Use a password manager to store all your passwords. Either the solution provided by your employer or (better still) an offline password manager such as KeePass
  • You can also find lots of password tips on our website

Once you have the password (again) and you have logged in to your email account, you are greeted by a huge backlog of emails that has built up during your holiday. However, experience shows that not all of these emails are work-related. In all probability, the inbox will contain spam, phishing emails and messages with malware attachments. Often, the usual caution is relaxed in order to get through the large number of emails rapidly. All too quickly, a link can be clicked or an attachment opened. If the document turns out to be malicious, the computer could be infected.

  • Always be cautious when opening and reading emails, and give yourself enough time, even if there is a flood of emails waiting. Even after the holidays are over, the general rule is: lower the risk, think before you click.

Last modification 11.08.2022

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