When you open an account either online or over the phone we will send you a letter asking you to choose a password and provide us with three memorable words. These in addition to your Web ID (if you choose to operate you account online), will make up your unique Security Details.

When choosing your password it's essential that you think carefully about what elements make up a good password.

Most importantly, whatever password you choose, it needs to be something that you can easily remember, but that someone else, even somebody who knows you well, would find difficult to guess.

Some ideas and techniques for creating a good password:

Make your password alphanumeric, that is mix-up letters and numbers in your password. If you think you'll struggle to remember a truly random set of letters and numbers, try switching numbers for specific letters or use a phrase to create your password e.g. "Samantha will be five on the ninth of August", could become SWB5OT9OA.

Try to avoid the following when creating your password:

• Using only numbers or only letters e.g. 123456 or ABCDEF
• Using names - your own, a family member's or your pet's e.g. Rebecca, Thomas etc.
• Using any dates of birth - either forward or backwards e.g. 1950 or 0591
• Using any whole words that you would find in a dictionary e.g. password, football etc.
• Using the same password over and over again, so try to use different passwords for each website you login to.