Password Recommendations at IC
Passwords should:
- Be between 15 and 127 characters
- Have at least one letter, number, and special character, such as ! % * + - ? _
- Not contain your username or any actual words (unless it's a passphrase as described below)
- Be unique and unrelated to any other of your passwords
- Not be a password you have used anywhere before
- Not be just a modified version of an old password, such as appending "26!" to your existing password.
Choosing a Password and Remembering It
- Good passwords are long and random,
- Not just a word or a word with common character substitutions like "4" for "A"
- Consider using a password manager, like LastPass, BitWarden, or 1Password to generate a random password for you
- Two techniques for creating strong, memorable passwords:
- A passphrase is a series of five or more words as your password. They must be random words and not part of a phrase, song lyrics, etc.
- Add a short random string of letters, numbers, and special characters somewhere to further strengthen this
- Use the first letter of each word in a sentence, keeping all its capitalization, numbers, and punctuation.
- For example the password "Zra19'bawfoCL." is from the sentence "Zoe rented a 19 foot boat and went fishing on Cayuga Lake."]
Never provide your password to anyone, including on a form!