Password: How do I choose a good one?

Your password is the first line of defense to secure your account and personal information. You'll want to be sure to choose a strong and unique password. Here are some guidelines:

Bad

Threat actors use password cracking tools that allow them to try thousands of permutations of common passwords in seconds. They know all the character replacement tricks too.

• Don't use a password that you use on other accounts. If bad actors get ahold of your password on one account, they'll try to breach your other accounts that use the same password.
• Don't use personally identifiable information like your name, birthdate, address, phone number, or those of your family members or friends.
• Don't use common character replacement thinking it'll increase security, it doesn't (e.g. Ev@nge1, $pringfie!d)
• Don't use words that describe Evangel (e.g. College, Education, Seminary, University)
• Don't use words that describe your role (e.g. Admissions, Athletics, Professor, Student)
• Don't use words that describe your hobbies or interests that are easily searchable on social media.

Good

Keep in mind the following when choosing a password:

• It must be at least 14 characters long
• It can't be one of your last 10 passwords
• If it's too easy to guess, you'll be asked to try something else
• Avoid the pitfalls in the above "Bad" section
• See the pointers below to help you choose a strong password

Use a memorable passphrase. Logically related words are too easy to guess, so the words should have no logical relation to each other. Try stringing 3 randomly generated words together.

Example: stubby-soap-nipper (Don't use the example)

Open a memorable password generator.

1. Change the password type dropdown to "Memorable Password"
2. Slide the Length selector to 3
3. Click the circular arrows until you find a sequence you'll remember
4. Click the "Copy Secure Password" to copy it to the clipboard, then paste it in the appropriate field.

Better

Use a password manager. Here are two great options:

• 1Password
• Bitwarden

Generate a 20+ character random password in the password manager. It'll securely save the random password so you don't have to remember it. When you need to sign-in, you'll be able to either copy and paste the password, or set the password manager to auto-fill the username and password fields when you visit the sign-in page.

Best

Passwordless! The best kind of password is the one you don't have to use. This method allows you to authenticate without having to use your password. You'll still need to set your password once, so choose a good one. Then you'll enroll for passwordless sign-in. It makes sign-ins quick and simple. There are two passwordless methods available to you:

• Microsoft Authenticator App Phone Sign-in
• YubiKey Security Key