Choosing a Strong, Secure Password




This training is designed to help you better understand how to make stronger passwords.



 

Passwords are like keys. We use them to protect our digital property from being compromised or stolen. Using a weak password is like using a skeleton key to lock the door to your house.

Here are two examples of passwords:








 

Which do you think is stronger?

Correct: Although this password may seem less complex than "A9>K$2AG", it's actually much harder to crack due to it's length.

Incorrect: Although this password is random, because it's only 8 characters in length, it would still be much easier to crack than a seemingly simple yet longer password.

Why is password length so important?





 

Computers have gotten fast; using components available for purchase at almost any hardware store, computers can make up to 350 billion password calculations per second. For each character over 8, your password takes around 100 times longer to crack.

How to make a strong password:


Use easy-to-remember phrases, such as:
  • Favorite quotes
  • Song lyrics
  • Nursery rhymes
Add variation, such as:
  • Numbers (significant dates, lucky numbers)
  • Special characters (@#$! or spaces)
  • Capital letters
Length: We recommend using at least 12 characters
 

For example: If we took the phrase "Mary had a little lamb," added a year of significance to the end, such as the year you graduated high school - let's say that it was 1998 - it would take a computer calculating 350 billion character combinations per second, about 41 decillion years to crack. That's a 41 followed by 33 zeros!

Let's use these principles to make a strong password!

 

For this exercise, let's use three different words to make a passphrase. (Use only letters A-Z...no numbers or special characters yet!)

 
*Remember that the combination of all three words must be at least 12 letters long.
 
  Only letters A-Z are allowed.

Passphrase length: {{totalPassphraseLength}}

 

Now let's add a couple numbers, capital letters, and special characters to make your password even more hack-proof!

 
  • Password is at least 12 characters long
  • Password contains at least one capital letter
  • Password contains at least one number
  • Password contains at least one special character ($, @, %, etc.)
 

 

Great job! Click the Continue arrow when you're ready to continue.

Let's test your skills!

 

Try making a password from scratch that meets the following criteria:

 
  • Password is at least 12 characters long
  • Password contains at least one capital letter
  • Password contains at least one number
  • Password contains at least one special character ($, @, %, etc.)
 
Weak Moderate Strong


Great job! Click the Continue arrow to continue.
Your Password Stats
Your password length: {{currPassword.length}}
Possible combinations for this {{currPassword.length}}-character password: {{currCombinations}}
Time required to crack password: {{currCalcLength}}

 

 

Avoid Reusing Passwords!

 

Why is reusing passwords a bad idea? Take a look at this hypothetical situation:

 

A hacker has figured out one of your social media passwords! This hacker knows you have an email account, and a bank account as well. Below are two possible lists of your passwords for these accounts. Which of these groups of passwords will most likely be more difficult for the hacker to figure out, now that he already knows your social media password? (click on the more secure group)

Group A



Group B



Correct! The passwords used for each of these accounts are different and are at least 12 characters in length; making it much less likely for your other accounts to be compromised.

Incorrect. Even using a strong password can become an Achilles heel if used across multiple accounts...If a hacker cracks your password for one account, the rest could become compromised as well.

Things to Keep in Mind When Creating a Password:

 
  • We recommend making passwords at least 12 characters long.
  • Use passphrases when possible.
  • Throw a few symbols, numbers, or capital letters into your password.
  • Don't reuse the same password over multiple accounts!
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