Creating Hard-to-Crack Passwords

Some simple guidelines will help you create a stronger password. It is not necessary to incorporate all of the following rules in one password, but the more rules you use, the better your chances of making your password hard to crack. Some tips:

• Passwords should be 6-14 characters long

• Do not use illegal characters: *, “, or spaces

• Do not use dictionary words (any language)

• Do not make common letter substitutions, such as replacing E with 3, or L with 1

• Include characters from as many of these classes as possible:

  • Uppercase letters

  • Lowercase letters

  • Numbers

  • Symbols