Guidelines for good passwords

• DON'T choose a password that has more than eight characters.
• DON'T choose a password that could be found in a dictionary.
• DON'T choose a password that uses public information, such as your social security number, credit card or ATM card number, phone number, birthdate, driver's license number, et cetera.
• DON'T choose a password that uses public information about your family or friends.
• DON'T choose a password that is made up of two or more words that could be found in a dictionary, in any form or combination.
• DON'T reuse old passwords.
• DON'T use your user ID, or any variation on your user ID, as your password.
• DON'T use a new password that is very similar to your old password. If the new password is too similar to the old one, the system may reject it.
• DON'T give your password to ANYONE. Sharing accounts is not only against your User Agreement, but may be illegal as well. The systems staff will never need to know your password for any legitimate purpose. Anyone claiming to be systems staff who requires your password is trying to deceive you.

• DO choose a password that has no easily discerned signifigance to you. (For example, Michael Crichton wouldn't want to have 'JRASSCPRK' as a password because it might be guessed by a computer criminal.)
• DO choose a password that is six to eight characters long.
• DO memorize your password. If you write it down--anywhere--someone could find it and use it to wreak havoc in your name.
• DO use a password that has at least two alphabetic characters (a-z, A-Z) and at least one numeric (0-9) or special (punctuation) character.
• DO use both upper- and lower-case characters. Passwords are case-sensitive.
• DO choose a completely new password every time you change your password.