CHOOSE A SECURE PASSWORD

How do you choose a secure password?

A secure password is a password that a computer program or persistent person cannot easily guess. To help you, we have developed a tool that helps you visualize your password’s strength immediately.

Tips on choosing a secure password:

• Use punctuation marks and numbers.
• Combine upper and lower case characters.
• Replace characters with other characters that look similar, e.g., zero (0) instead of the letter “O”, the dollar sign ($) instead of the letter “S” or an asterisk (*) instead of the letter “X”.
• Use phonetic translations, such as “4ever” for “forever”.
• Create an acronym, e.g., “Ih4Bca2Ws” for “I have four black cats and two white sheep”.

Final Tips:

• Do not use the passwords suggested in the examples.
• Do not use passwords containing personal information (name, date of birth, etc.).
• Do not use acronyms found in a dictionary.
• Do not use sequential keyboard strokes (e.g., q-w-w-e-r-t-y) or sequential numerals (e.g., 1-2-3-4).
• Do not use only one type of character in your password.
• Do not use the same character repeatedly (aa11).

Finally:

• Never reveal your password to anyone.
• Never write your password down.
• Never send your password by email.
• Change your password regularly.