Security: Passphrases & Passwords

Advice on Choosing aPassword

Secureand complexpasswords are often thought of as burdensome. With required 15-character minimum length, use of upper & lower case letters, and theuse of a number or special character, this can often seem like too much to remember. Thankfully, there is an easier way... you can enter apassphrase. A phrase meets the requirements on length and complexity, but it is easier toremember.

For some ideas on comingup with a passphrase, consider the following examples:

"Tiger123"
- This password is short and easy for you to remember.It is important to realize, this password would also be easy tofigureout orguess.This is an example of a VERY insecure password.
"T1g3rudhxn!vo?LSU"
- This password is much more complex, but also much harder to remember.
"Aren't tigers awesome and number 1 in the nation?"
- This passphrase is long, complex, and easierto remember than the previous example.

DONOT USE ANYof thePasswords ORPassphrasesused as examplesin this articleforYOUR ACTUAL PASSWORD!

Remember a Complex Password

Full sentences andphrases are VERY secure because of the complexity and multiple waysin which they can be constructed. There are many ways "Aren't tigers awesome and number 1 in the nation?"could be written. As a result, it is more difficult for attackers to guess and it is harder for password cracking tools todecipher.

LSU passwordsCANcontain spaces, making apassphrase an ideal solution.

Question:

I try to keep my passwords in syncor similar to each other to make it easier to remember them. It is difficult to do thiswith such HIGH password requirements.

How should I handle the password for the other web services that I use? For example, passwords for otherweb services thatDO NOTallow spaces or have a very short maximum length.

Answer:

APassphrasecan be a viable solution by using abbreviations. Consider the following examples:

"Where oh where has my little 1 gone?"
- This passphrase may be too LONGfor many web sites orwebservices.
"Wowhml1g?"
- This abbreviated version of the previous password is now much shorter.It appears random and is difficult to guess, howeverit is easier for you to remember since you know the phrase that it originates from.

Steps to ChangeYour Password

Change Your MyLSU AccountPassword

Referenced from: Microsoft.com

Article ID: 16865
Last Updated: 10/13/2023 3:20:37 PM

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GROK is a resource of Louisiana State University developed and maintained with support of the LSU Student Technology Fee.We love getting feedback from the general public, but our support efforts are generally dedicated to the LSU community.Thanks for your understanding!

FAQs

Security: Passphrases & Passwords - GROK Knowledge Base? ›

A passphrase, as opposed to a password, is a phrase or short combination of words that is easy for the user to remember, and may contain spaces. Passwords are often shorter, do not include spaces, and consist of a random string of characters, or one or two words.

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What is an example of a passphrase and a password? ›

You can think of a passphrase as a short sentence that's at least 15 characters in length and consists of four or more words. By contrast, a password is usually shorter and more complicated. An example of a passphrase can be VirusOrMalwareMyDefenseIsRed.

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What are the best practices for passphrases and passwords? ›

Make passwords that are hard to guess but easy to remember.

Some systems will even let you use spaces: “bread and butter yum”. Avoid single words, or a word preceded or followed by a single number (e.g. Password1). Hackers will use dictionaries of words and commonly used passwords to guess your password.

What is the security passphrase? ›

what is a secure passphrase? A secure passphrase is the next generation in passwords. It uses a short phrase instead of a single word, making it more difficult for someone else to guess or use.

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What is an example of a strong passphrase? ›

Generally, there are two main approaches to making strong passwords: Passphrases are based on a combination of multiple real words. Uncommon words with character-swapping and random characters mixed in have been used in the past, like “Tr1Ck” for “trick” or “84sk37b4LL” for “basketball”.

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What are good security phrases? ›

The key to a good passphrase is randomness — the words you use to create a passphrase should not have an obvious connection between them. A good passphrase example is overripe-trekker-angular-envision-letter, while a passphrase like apple-peach-banana-cucumber would be much easier to crack.

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Which is safer password or passphrase? ›

Most passcode rules and security standards allow for the use of passphrases instead of passwords. On the whole, using a passphrase is more secure and offers better peace of mind. In either case, the FBI recommends making passwords or passphrases as long as a system will allow for optimal security.

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How do I find my security key or passphrase? ›

Most routers come with the network key written on the back or bottom of the router. It's usually labeled with a different name, such as passcode, password, wireless password, or simply security key. The underside of a router showing the Wi-Fi password (network security key).

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Is a 3 word passphrase secure? ›

Weak passwords can be cracked in seconds. The longer and more unusual your password is, the harder it is for a cyber criminal to crack. A good way to make your password difficult to crack is by combining three random words to create a password (for example applenemobiro).

Is the passphrase the new password? ›

Passphrases are made up of four or more random words making them longer than a traditional password. This makes them harder to guess but easy to remember. Changing your passwords to a passphrase is a great way to improve your cyber security.

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Which one is the most secure passphrase? ›

Additionally, it's crucial to use unique passphrases for all of your accounts and to include special characters. Another example of a strong passphrase with might be something like “W@x0nW@x0ffMrMiy@gi” This passphrase works because: It has a personal reference. It is difficult to guess.

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What are three strong passwords? ›

A strong password is:

At least 12 characters long but 14 or more is better.
A combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Not a word that can be found in a dictionary or the name of a person, character, product, or organization.
Significantly different from your previous passwords.

More items...

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What is an example of an 8 characters password? ›

To do this, employ a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. For instance, "N4&vQ2! p" is a solid example of how to blend these elements into a more secure 8-character password.

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How do I set up a passphrase? ›

To create strong passphrases, you should avoid using personal information, include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters, use a passphrase generator and store your passphrases in a password manager.

What is a passphrase instead of a password? ›

Passphrases are more memorable and far more secure than a password, which typically seeks security through a mix of numbers, special characters, and upper and lowercase letters. As an example, passwords like “GenIusc0de123!” are, in fact, easier to crack while at the same time more difficult to remember for the user.

What is an example of a password? ›

Password: m#P52s@ap$V

This is a great example of a strong password. It's strong, long, and difficult for someone else to guess. It uses more than 10 characters with letters (both uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and symbols, and includes no obvious personal information or common words.

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