With today’s technology, you probably have a password for everything — your phones, bank accounts, social media profiles and the information you can access at work. These combinations of letters, numbers and symbols are your keys to unlocking the doors to personal and work websites and systems.

Because passwords help identify and connect us to our information, it’s important to protect them. Once someone knows your password, they can steal your identity, change your direct deposit accounts and access personal information like your pay statements and tax withholdings.

Follow these tips to keep your passwords secure.

• Always log out after using a public or shared workstation.
• Use different passwords for each site you visit.
• Never write down or share your passwords, even with family and friends.

If you think a personal account has been compromised, change your password and contact the website or company. They may recommend deactivating or blocking your account.

These guidelines apply at work as well. Sharing your Publix user ID and password or using another associate’s credentials violates our Information Resources Policy. And remember, a Publix support associate or technician will never ask for your password.

If you believe your Publix account may have been compromised, contact the Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT) by calling 1-866-747-3773 or sending an email to cirt@publix.com. Phone lines are open 24/7.