Password Guidelines
A password is a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols that grants you access to an account.
- In general, passwords should contain 8 characters or more, include lowercase and uppercase letters, a number, and a symbol
- Do not use the same password for multiple accounts
- Never write down your password
Password examples: CETInternational1! or oT*9dqdRxP
A passphrase is an example of a password that is based on a string of words instead of a short phrase or random letters and numbers. For example:
Passphrase examples: I love my job because student exchange is really rewarding! or cateats17cakeslice@party
As seen in the second example, a passphrase does not need to have correct spelling, grammar, or context - it just needs to be something you can remember.
Benefits of passphrases over passwords include:
- Easier for you to remember - you don't need to write it down!
- Harder to crack - it involves more characters than a normal password.
- Satisfies complex rules, such as uppercase, lowercase, and symbols. Numbers can easily be added as well.
Also, the longer they are, the better. Windows and Apple lets you use up to 127 characters for your computer password. Anything over 10 characters should be satisfactory - it makes it much harder for password cracking tools to break into your passphrase.
See the below comic from xkcd for a good example of why a passphrase is better than a password:
