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What is a Strong Password?
A strong password is one that is hard for someone to break into. It consists of random
letters and numbers set out in a way
that no one can run a program against your Directory ID to figure it out.
With the requirement that passwords must be changed every 180 days, one example
of how to choose a strong password and still be able to remember it is to
think of a song, title of a book, or poem that you like that contains a
minimum of 8 words. For instance, if you use the phrase; "To be or not to be; that
is the question," you can set up a password to be the following:
2b0ntbT1tq (To=2 be=b or=0 not=n to=t be=b that=T is=1 the=t question=q).
Keeping a phrase in your mind helps you to retain the letters and numbers
you are using until you need to change it.
Passwords should contain characters from three of the following four character sets:
- Uppercase Alphabet (A-Z)
- Lowercase Alphabet (a-z)
- Numeric digits (0-9)
- Punctuation !@#$%^&-+=/? but not *()\ (these
characters have a known issue with the common
login)
While passwords must contain a minimum of 8 characters, strong
passwords will have many more. Some examples of strong passwords are:
-
A combination of several words that aren't themselves a word
interspersed with special characters
(e.g., !4scOrE&sEveNYeaRs_ag0)
-
A heavy mixture of upper and lower case and digits
(e.g., DeLuS10nAl5IdEAS)
-
An "acronym" made from a phrase, that isn't itself a word, capitalizing significant
words with special characters
(e.g., ?tm_C!jo%tb#LM?+ -- from "the mad cow jumped over the
brightly lit moon"
-
A word with digits of a memorable date sprinkled inside it
(e.g., automobile -> 0au2to0mo9bi19le64)
Strong passwords should never consist of real or dictionary words
(in any language), any word that is associated with you (e.g., your street
address or friend's name), or your Mother's maiden name. For example, bad
passwords are: 12345678, abcdefgh, or joesomebody (a friend's name).
Finally, remember - never give your password out to anyone; not even your
best friend.
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