Password Guidelines

                

CPS Password Syntax Rules:

 ·         CPS passwords must be at least 8 characters in length.

• ·         Complexity requirement: Each CPS password must contain a character from 3 of the following four character types.  Blanks are disallowed.
• -         Lower case alphabetic - a…z
• -         Upper case alphabetic - A…Z
• -         Numeric - 0…9
• -        Special character - (!@#$%^&*()_+|~-=\`{}[]:";'<>?,./)

   What to Do:

·         Use a password that you can type quickly, without having to look at the keyboard. This makes it harder for someone to steal your password by watching over your shoulder.

• ·         Use a password that is easy to remember, so you don't have to write it down.  An example would be to create a combination of letters that stand for a phrase that enable users to remember passwords easily.   For example, “security should be commensurate with risk” would become “ssbcwr,” with at least two of the following added:  capital letter(s), number(s) and special character(s).  Song titles may help users remember phrases as well.  Phrases should be:
• -        Known only to the creator
• -        Long enough to be secure
• -        Hard to guess, even by someone who knows the user well
• -        Easy to remember and easy to type accurately.

What Not to Do:

 ·         Don't use your login name in any form (as-is, reversed, capitalized, doubled, etc.).

• · Don't use your first or last name in any form.
• · Don't use your spouse's or child's name.
• · Don't use other information easily obtained about you. This includes license plate numbers, telephone numbers, social security numbers, the brand of your automobile, the name of the street you live on, etc.
• · Don't use a password of all digits, or the entire same letter. This significantly decreases the search time for a hacker.
• · Don't use a word contained in (English or foreign language) dictionaries, spelling lists, or other lists of words.
• · Don't use a password shorter than eight characters.
• · Don’t share passwords with other users.
• · Don’t use the same password as your network account or any other system account.      
• · Don’t reveal your password to anyone, over the phone, e-mail, or in person.  Authorized users are responsible for the security of their passwords and accounts. 
• · Don’t write a password down where it could be read.
• · Don’t cache (autosave) your system password on your local system.  Make sure you unclick any option to save your system password when accessing resources, such as web browsers.