# Complex Password Guide

## Tips For Password Security

1. Keep your passwords private – never share a password with anyone else.
2. Do not write down your passwords.
3. Use passwords of at least eight (8) characters or more (longer is better).
4. Use a combination of upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers, and special characters (for example: !, @, &, %, +) in all passwords.
5. Avoid using people’s or pet’s names, or words found in the dictionary; it’s also best to avoid using key dates (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.).
6. Substituting look-alike characters for letters or numbers is no longer sufficient (for example, Password” and “P@ssw0rd”).
7. A strong password should look like a series of random characters.

## How To Create A Strong, Complex Password

Here’s a way to make a strong password that’s very hard to crack:

### FOLLOW THESE STEPS

- Think of a phrase or sentence with at least eight words. It should be something easy for you to remember but hard for someone who knows you to guess. It could be a line from a favorite poem, story, movie, song lyric, or quotation you like.
- Remove all but the first letter of each word in your phrase.
- Replace several of the upper-case letters with lower case ones, at random.
- Now substitute a number for at least one of the letters. (Here, we’ve changed the capital “I” to the numeral 1).
- Finally, use special characters ( $, &, +, !, @) to replace a letter or two — preferably a letter that is repeated in the phrase. You can also add an extra character to the mix. (Here, we’ve replaced the “t” with “+”, and added an exclamation point at the end.)

### EXAMPLE

I Want To Put A Dent In The Universe

IWTPADITU iWtpADitU iWtpAD1tU

iW+pAD1tU!

## What To Do Next…

This Complex Password Guide is just a small part of a strong Cybersecurity program. For more information and to take a free risk assessment visit: www.Pelycon.com/SRA