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Your password must be at least eight (8) characters in length, and must contain at least 3 of the following 4 elements:
- UPPERCASE letters (A-Z)
- lowercase letters (a-z)
- numerals (0-9)
- special characters (!@#$%^&*()_+)
Here are a few things to avoid when selecting good passwords:
Don't use personal information!
Your name, your spouse's name, your kids' names, your dog's name, your parents' names, your maiden name, the high school that you graduated from, your high school mascot, your hometown...you get the idea. Use things that are truly unrelated to you and therefore not easily guessed.
Don't use words listed in standard dictionaries!
There are several password cracking programs in use that try every word in the dictionary as your password.
Don't use keyboard keys that are close together!
Passwords such as "qwerty," "tryout," "12345," and "hhhhh" should all be off limits. Those are too easy for someone to detect and remember if they happen to glance over your shoulder while you're typing your password.
Here are some suggestions to help you choose a secure password that is easy to remember:
Substitute numerals for letters.
Use the number zero (0) in place of the letter "O", and the number one (1) in place of the letters "I" or "L".
E.g. S0rryChar11e! (contains a zero and 2 ones)
Intentionally misspell words.
E.g. T0eTALLY (also contains a zero)
Use off-the-wall words and phrases.
E.g. Shark_batE (notice the capitalization and underscore)
Put words inside of words.
E.g. W0centerRD (also contains a zero)
Flip words and split them in different places.
E.g. esAb.bAll
Use the first letter of each word in an easy-to-remember phrase or the title of a book on your shelf.
E.g. Mffi1c! (My favorite food is 1ce cream!)
E.g. w2000STH (windows 2000 Security Training Handbook)
Use the names of a column or row of tools on the pegboard.
E.g. 10iPW8iP (10 inch Pipe Wrench 8 inch Pliers)
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