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Tips on Creating an Effective Password

Your password is a critical piece of information when it comes to protecting your private information and digital identity. Here are a few tips to help you choose a strong password.

Good Passwords

Good passwords should be at least eight characters long.

They should include at least one character from each of the following three character groups:

  • Uppercase alphabetic characters (A-Z)
  • Lowercase alphabetic characters (a-z)
  • Numbers and symbols ( 0-9~`!@#$%^&*()_-+={}[]|\:;"<>',.?/ )
  • Embed at least one number or symbol within the password rather than adding it to the beginning or end of an otherwise alphabetic string

Bad Passwords

A bad password is one that is easily guessed by someone who knows you.

Examples of bad passwords include:

  • Your username
  • Your name or nickname
  • Names of anyone in your family
  • Your pet's name
  • Your birthday or family birthdays
  • Your phone number, social security number, or address

Do NOT make your password a dictionary word or common name with numbers and symbols merely substituting for similar looking alphabetic characters (for example, "P@ssw0rd"). Most importantly, never share your password with anyone and do NOT write it down.

Remember to change your password regularly. This practice limits the amount of time that someone can use to guess your password and the amount of time that your password can be used if it is uncovered.

Strong Passwords Can Be Easy to Remember

A simple way to create a strong but easy-to-remember password is to take a phrase that means something to you and relate each word of the phrase to a corresponding letter, number or symbol. For example, the phrase "I am one happy student at Princeton University" could become the password Im1Hs@PU.