Securing Your Password

Securing your password is now one of the most important things involved with keeping your computer and internet security intact. If someone is able to access your personal files, they will not only be able to look at your private information, but also do an almost infinite number of improper or illegal actions in your name. All of these things will be traced back to you, and you may be held accountable. To prevent this, follow these simple rules:

1. Always make your password (OR passphrase) long.
   General security priciples suggests "the longer, the better". A minimum of eight characters is required, it can be as long as 124.

2. Do not use letters only.
   Use various numbers, symbols, and punctuation marks when possible. Also try to mix upper case and lower case letters. This multiplies the number of different possible combinations.

3. Do not use personal information.
   Your name, your spouse's name, your children's names, your birthday, etc. in whatever form (capitalized, reversed, etc.) can be easily acquired from other sources. Use things that are truly unrelated to you.

4. Do not use words listed in any dictionary.
   There are programs that can go through a dictionary and try every word as your password. With faster and faster computers, the dictionary search can take as little as a few seconds only.

5. Do not use words with keys that are close together.
   Words like qwerty, tryout, 12345, and hhhhh should all be off limits. These are easy for someone to pick out if they happen to glance over your shoulder while you are typing your password.

6. Never send your password to anyone through email.
   Just like ordinary mail, emails can be intercepted and read by unauthorized, malicious persons. If your password happens to be read by these people, then the security of your account, including your email address, has been compromised.

7. Do not store your password in an insecure place.
   On a post-it on your monitor, in your wallet, on your dorm dresser, these are all terrible places to keep your "secure" password. The most secure place to keep your password, is in your head. If you must write it down though, put it in a place that will be locked up, and difficult to find.

Here are some suggestions on choosing a secure password: (These are examples only and are NOT to be recycled!)

1. use off-the-wall words and phrases.
   Ex: Shark_batE (notice the capitalization and underscore)

2. put words inside other words.
   Ex: WOcenterRD

3. flip words and split them in different places.
   Ex: esAb.bAll

4. misspell words on purpose.
   Ex: TOeTALLY

5. use the first letters of words in a phrase.
   Ex: IsIpC. ( Information Security Is Pretty Cool.)