Every year, thousands of computers are illegally accessed because of weak passwords.
Passwords are the most common means of authentication, but if good passwords are not
chosen carefully, or kept confidential, they are almost as ineffective as not having any
password at all. Below are the characteristics of a strong password:
- Are at least eight alphanumeric characters long
- Contain at least three of the following four categories
- Upper case characters (e.g., A-Z)
- Lowercase Characters (*Note: some systems do not distinguish between upper and lower case in passwords)
- Digits (e.g., 0-9)
- Special characters (e.g., !@#$$%) (*Note: keep in mind that some systems only allow certain special characters)
Click here for a more in depth review of how to set powerful passwords that will protect your organization!