Creating complex passwords, 78 creating complex passwords – Apple Mac OS X Server (Version 10.6 Snow Leopard) User Manual

Page 78

Creating Complex Passwords

Use the following tips to create complex passwords:

Use a mix of alphabetic (upper and lower case), numeric, and special characters

(such as ! and @).
Don’t use words or combinations of words found in a dictionary of any language.

Don’t append a number to an alphabetic word (for example, “wacky2”) to fulfill the

constraint of having a number.
Don’t substitute “look alike” numbers or symbols for letters (for example, “GR33N”

instead of “GREEN”).
Don’t use proper names.

Don’t use dates.

Create a password of at least 12 characters. Longer passwords are generally more

secure than shorter passwords.
Use passwords that can’t be guessed even by someone who knows you and your

interests well.
Create as random a password as possible.

You can use Password Assistant (located in /System/Library/CoreServices) to verify the
complexity of your password.

Chapter 4

Enhancing Security