How do I register for ACROSSnet membership?

Membership is required for access to the secure sections of the ACROSSnet website. To apply for membership please click the link in the menu above. You will be asked to go through a 3 step process which involves choosing a username and password, providing the ACROSSnet Team with your particulars and waiting to receive confirmation that your membership has been accepted and activated. Some of the information you are asked to provide is mandatory and this is identified with an asterisk. This information helps us to make sure that the information and services provided by ACROSSnet are both appropriate and responsible.

Why do I have to provide so much information to become an ACROSSnet member?

People working with in the field of suicide prevention and mental health may come from a wide range of backgrounds, with varying degrees of professional training and experience. One of the major principles guiding ACROSSnet is that of 'do no harm', so it is very important to us that the information and services offered by ACROSSnet are appropriate to the level of expertise that members have and that appropriate supports are provided in cases where workers have limited relevant expertise or support. Therefore, when you register to become a member, we ask that you provide information about your training and experience, and to answer a series of questions about your current practice in the field of suicide prevention and/or mental health. This could take up to 10 minutes. This information helps us to ensure that the information and services that ACROSSnet provides are useful, responsible and appropriate for the different groups of people who may access the site.

How do I choose a good password?

For a useful and interesting article about choosing good (and bad) passwords, go to the Australian Computer Emergency Response Team (AusCERT) site. Some of their simple guidelines that will help you choose better passwords include:

• A password should be a minimum of eight characters long.
• Try to include some form of punctuation or digit.
• Use mixed case passwords if possible.
• Choose a phrase or a combination of words that make the password easier to remember eg
• gOt%L0st! - got lost!
• rsKf0myH - Raindrops keep falling on my head

• Do not use a word that can be found in any dictionary (including foreign language dictionaries).
• Do not use a keyboard pattern such as qwertyui
• Do not repeat any character more than once in a row like zzzzzzzz .
• Do not use things that can be easily determined such as:
• Phone numbers.
• Car registration.
• Friends' or relatives' names.
• Your name or employment details.
• Any date.

Never use your account name as its password.