Password length is the key to better online security, Dutch government says

Using a long password of at least 12 characters, together with two-factor authentication (2FA), is the best way to protect your online accounts.

In 2025, approximately 2.5 million people in the Netherlands became victims of scammers and online criminals.

That’s why the Dutch government is warning gullible citizens to be vigilant against phishing attempts and other tactics cybercriminals use to con them out of their money or login credentials.

Your email account is worth a lot to criminals, the Dutch government argues. Therefore, the best way to protect your online accounts is to secure your email account as best you can.

This is done by creating a long, unique password that’s at least 12 characters.

“The more characters your password has, the longer it takes to find the right combination. That’s why a long password is more secure than a short one,” the Dutch government explains in a blog post.

Instead of using an existing word combined with numbers, it’s better to protect your email account by thinking of a phrase. Even when hackers try to guess your password with brute force software, it’ll take more time to crack your security.

On top of that, you should protect your email account by implementing two-factor authentication (2FA). This means that after entering a username and password, you must confirm it’s you in yet another way, for example, but entering an access code that you receive via an authenticator app, or enabling a Google prompt on a trusted device.

The government’s blog post also offers other tips to protect your online accounts. For starters, it’s best to protect your router at home by coming up with a long and unique password.

When you’re away from home, it’s best not to use public WiFi. Instead, you should turn your smartphone into a hotspot and use your mobile data from your internet service provider. If that’s not an option, it’s best to use a virtual private network or VPN.

Lastly, make sure you make a backup of your data regularly. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) recommends having 3 copies of your data, stored on 2 different devices or media, with 1 copy stored in a different location, like a cloud. This is called the “3-2-1 principle.”