Selecting a Good Password

The best passwords are easy for you to remember, but hard for others to guess or to "crack" by using password-guessing programs. Below are some suggestions for creating a strong password. You don’t have to follow all of these guidelines, but the more you do adhere to, the more secure your password will be.

• Mix upper- and lowercase letters, such as "RoCkYrOaD" instead of "rockyroad".
• Mix letters and numbers, such as "r0ckyr0ad" instead of "rockyroad".
• Mix in symbols, such as "rockyro@d" instead of "rockyroad".
• Don't use your name, your spouse's or significant other's name, or your pets name as part of your password.
• Don't use part of your email address as your password.
• Longer is better – a ten-character or longer password is significantly more secure than a shorter one.

Following as many of these guidelines as you can will help you select a password which is as secure as possible.