Passwords

Secure password generator

Sometimes it's hard to think of a good password, so here's a resource that will do it for you.

http://www.pctools.com/guides/password/

and while we're at it...

Password Management Guidelines

The following guidelines should help you manage your passwords, which is a good idea for you and for maintaining the integrity of Curtin's information security.

Better passwords can be created by:

using more than six letters and/or characters (use a mixture of alpha and numeric characters, and include punctuation marks if you can);
using a varying combination of lower and upper case letters;
using the initial letters of a phrase you can easily remember: eg " Doe a Deer a Female Deer" becomes DaDaFD (and add a digit too);
not using words found in a standard dictionary (they are readily available for use by computer hackers).

Passwords should not:

be displayed openly (sticky notes on desks or workstations);
be an alphabetic or number series either forwards or backwards (eg ABCDEF, FEDCBA, 123456 or 654321);
be a string of identical letters or numbers;
be a string of keyboard keys running together (eg ASDFG or QWERTY);
be an easily guessed word such as your name, user ID, or any variation thereof (backwards, changing case, etc.);
be a word(s) readily associated with you, your family or occupational role;
be reused in a form that is identical or substantially similar to passwords you have previously used.

Better password security can be maintained by:

immediately changing your password when an initial "default" password is assigned;
never writing your passwords down and displaying them;
storing your password(s) in a secure place (if you can't normally remember them);
changing your passwords at regular intervals (where you have the opportunity to do so - even if it is not a regularly enforced business process);
never sharing passwords with others (unless specifically authorised to do so);
using different passwords on each separate account you may have (where possible).