Protect Your Password

Security experts at Carnegie Mellon University estimate that more than a million passwords have already been stolen. If someone guesses or steals your password, he or she can access all of the information tied to your password. This could include access to your files, confidential university information, your e-mail, your bank accounts, credit cards, and more.

You will not be the only person affected by a stolen password. An intruder could gain entry to your system to control other machines and systems, capture information about local users, and eventually control remote systems.

It is very important to choose a strong password. Hackers use many tools, such as dictionary programs, to assist them in guessing your password.

• Do not use dictionary words, keyboard sequences, words spelled backwards, or foreign words.
• Use as many characters as allowed
• Intersperse punctuation marks or symbols
• Use a mix of upper and lower case characters
• Make your password easy for you to remember. Pick letters from a phrase that's meaningful ("Do you know the way to San Jose?" could be D!Y!KtwTSJ?)
• Never write down your password where someone could see it
• Select a unique password, not one you use for other purposes, such as your bank PIN or your password to another system.

For more information...

Visit Campus Password Policy
Visit Chico Password Station