Students, faculty, and staff can learn about passphrases and best practices for creating them.
Password Management Video Guide
Passphrase Overview
Passwords can be difficult to remember, especially when they are composed of a random combination of letters and numbers and/or you have more than one of them. Instead of a password, you may consider using a passphrase.
A passphrase consists of four or more random words that create a password over 12 characters in length. It can even be a sentence, so long as it is somewhat random. Below are examples of a strong passphrase:
- Ethel eats fresh fish
This passphrase is 20 characters long and contains uppercase, lowercase and special characters. Using current technology, this passphrase would take 2.4 x 1024 years to crack. If your password is stolen or compromised, you can simply modify a word(s) in the existing passphrase, as shown below, or create a new passphrase.
- Ethel hates fresh fish
- Tom watches fresh fish
- Alex likes fresh vegetables
The permutations in using a passphrase are virtually endless and easier for most people to remember.
You should still keep in mind the following best practices:
- Do not reuse passwords for important websites.
- Do not use children or pet names.
- Do not use music lyrics or other well-known phrases.
- Do not reuse passwords that have been compromised.
- Do not simply add or increase a number at the end of a password.
- You should use a password manager for your passwords. Products like Lastpass, Dashlane, and 1Password all have free versions.
- You should use two-factor or multi-factor authentication on any account that offers it. This is the best way to prevent your accounts from being misused, and it is available across an ever-increasing number of services including financial websites, social apps, and even gaming sites like Steam.
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