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Abstract:
As of June 2005, a new Password policy is in effect. Since passwords are an essential aspect of computer security, all faculty, staff, or student at the University of Kansas are responsible for protecting and selecting strong passwords. Please make sure that you are familiar with the Password policy .
Password enumeration attacks are becoming more common on Windows™ workstations
Recent increases in computer hacking and viruses worldwide have caused many
systems to become exploited. Hackers often attempt to gain access to a computer
by guessing all possible combinations of passwords. Using a modern PC, a hacker
can normally break a weak password remotely in less than 60 seconds. Once
broken, your password may allow someone to access your files.
How to do it:
A good password meets the following requirements:
- Be at least 8 characters long
- Contain at least one special character (&, #, -, _, etc)
- Contain at least one uppercase and one lowercase letter
- Contain at least one digit (0-9)
A good password does NOT follow these formats:
- Not be an alphabetic series, either forwards or backwards (i.e., ABCDEF or FEDCBA)
- Not be a numeric series, either forwards or backwards (i.e., 123456 or 654321)
- Not be a string of all identical letters or numbers (i.e., AAAAAA or 111111)
- Not be a common keyboard key sequences (i.e., ASDFG or QWERTY)
- Not be an easily guessed word such as your name, userid, or any variation thereof (backwards, changing case, etc.)
- Not be a word(s) referring to anything noticeable about you, such as the name of your spouse, child, pet, favorite
football team, or literary character
- Not be a word that appears in a dictionary
[Note: A space is not a valid password character on many computer systems.]
Examples of good passwords:
There are many ways to help you create a password that follows the guidelines but is easy to remember. Several common methods are
- iL2eAwPb! "I like to eat apples with peanut butter!" (no dictionary words, all cases and a special character)
- 88-FfBbc "1988-Final Four Basketball Champions"
- Ucd,yc7, - You can dance, you can jive, (Abba)
- 2rDiAyW, - "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood," Robert Frost - The Road Not Taken;
- J,Sa,&Am - Japan, Swiss Alps, & Amsterdam
Examples of weak passwords:
- Password01 (no complexity, uses a dictionary word)
- 1234 or abcd or a BLANK password!
Changing your KU Online Services password:
Users can change the password to their KU Online Services account by going to the KU Computing Services webpage and selecting "Get a new password" at :
http://www.ku.edu/computing/services
Source
Jeff Perry
KU IT Security Office
http://www.security.ku.edu
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