The password criteria are as follows:
- Minimum of 12 characters long
- It cannot be a previously used password that was used on your university account
- It can’t contain any of your given names (first, middle or surname)
- It can't contain your username (student or staff ID, or Uni email address)
- It must include the following:
- Lowercase letters
- Uppercase letters
- Numbers
- Can include Special characters e.g.
@ # $ % ^ & * - _ ! + = [ ] { } | \ : ‘ , . ? / ` ~ “ ( )
A good way to make your password difficult to crack is by combining three random words to create a single password (for example appleNemobiro1).
Avoid the most common passwords that criminals can easily guess (like ‘password’). You should also avoid creating passwords from significant dates (like your birthday, or a loved one’s), or from your favourite sports team, or by using family and pet names. Most of these details can be found within your social media profile.
If you’re thinking of changing certain characters in your password (so swapping the letter ‘o' with a zero, for example), you should know that cyber criminals know these tricks as well. So your password won’t be significantly stronger, but it will be harder for you to remember.