Create a Strong Password
Password Guidelines
Information technology recommends that passwords you create should:
- Be at least 8 characters long.
- Contain a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Contain no dictionary words.
- Contain no common dates or numbers (such as your birthday, social security number, ID number).
- Contain no personally-identifiable information (i.e., your name, names of relatives or friends, your hometown, your pets, etc.)
- Be easy for you to remember, but hard for others to guess.
Computer passwords guard a variety of information, including financial records and other sensitive personal data. They also serve to protect your identity and reputation by keeping others from accessing your e-mail and instant messenger accounts.
If you are creating a password for a gaming device, it is highly recommended that you NOT use your CedarNet password. A compromise of your gaming password will create significant security risks if it is used for your school accounts as well.
Additional Resources
For step-by-step information on creating a strong and memorable password, refer to Microsoft's security article .
Also, try out Microsoft's password checker to see how strong your passwords are!
Article Reference: "Strong Passwords: How to create and use them," March 22, 2006. Available online from: http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/password/create.mspx
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