Passwords must be at least 14 characters long, but more than 14 is even better.
Password tips
It is important that you never share your password with anyone, including friends, partners, children or guests who come to visit you on campus, and no one at the university will have a need to ask you for your password. When creating a new password, you should avoid using any data that can be easily guessed, such as family names or your date of birth.
You should also try to mix in capital letters, and include numbers and special characters to add to your security. You could, for example, consider using numbers to replace certain letters or phrases in your password (4 instead of ‘for’, 3 instead of ‘E’, 0 instead of ‘O’).
What if I’m stuck for ideas?
One really good tip is to form your password out of a sentence that only you will remember. This can be anything from a common phrase to a life event that means something specific to you.
For example:
- Il2w4IT@C3u (I love to work for IT at CCCU)
- mdniP4TCH (My dog’s name is Patch)
- E5G1wcq01 (England 5 Germany 1 world cup qualifier 2001)
- AC02jun16 (Alice Cooper, O2, June 2016)
If you feel you must write down your password, never write down the password itself, but rather a hint that will trigger your memory. So for example, the word ‘gig’ might remind you of your password AC02jun16, and the word ‘work’ might remind you that Il2w4IT@C3u.
Please also see Microsoft password best practice.
For more information on setting up IT please visit this website.