Secure Your Password
How to quickly create a strong password: make it long, complex, unique, and secret!
Long
The longer the password, the stronger it is. It is recommended that your password be at least 12 characters long. Try making a passphrase (based on a whole sentence, rather than just a word) consisting of several or parts of words.
Examples:
How was your day?
Five will get you 10.
Complex
Be sure to vary character use when creating a secure password by alternating between lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
Examples:
Use the number 5 for an S.
Capitalize letters that are usually not capitalized, cApital.
Use punctuation or other special characters, $pecial!.
Unique
Pick a password you've never used that is easy for you to remember. An inside joke or a personal saying can be an easy trick for you to keep track of. Just no famous phrases, birthdays, pet names, or song lyrics. Remember, no "password," "qwerty," or "123456789"!
Secret
Never tell anyone your password. If you write it down store it in a secure location. Do not reuse passwords; consider a password wallet application on your computer or smartphone to securely store them, like BitWarden. Avoid sending passwords via email or SMS, posting potential clues on social media, or re-using a password that's already been hacked.
DO's
- Use at least 12 characters, more is better and ok
- Vary with uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters
- Create a passphrase of several words to be super secure
- Rest if you think it's been compromised (like after using a public computer)
- Keep it secret! Don't share it with friends, family, or roommates
- Remember to use MFA for a second level of account protection
- Use a password generator like BitWarden or 1Password to create strong passwords automatically
DONT's
- Never tell anyone your password, write it on a sticky note, email it, or post it on social media
- Don't reuse previous passwords or use the same one for more than one account
- Don't use your Warrior ID number, first or last name, or the names of friends or fictional characters
- Don't use your birthdate or any other easily guessed numbers
- Don't use keyboard patterns (like qwerty)
- Don't allow your internet browser to remember passwords
- Never leave your computer unlocked or unattended
Updated: February 23, 2023