IAS Passphrase Policy

IAS Passphrase Policy

  • It should have a minimum of 15 alphanumeric and special characters.
  • It should not include your username, first or last name, or your spouse's name. It is also not recommended to use dictionary terms, computer names, house addresses, phone numbers, or all numbers.
  • Here are some examples of strong passphrases that meet IAS's password criteria:
    • #Flip0rFlopHouses
    • S3dentary!L1festyle
    • T1metogetM0v1ng
    • V3getarian#0ption
    • Thyme And Time Again 100%
  • Do not lend your passphrase to other individuals. The potential for abuse is too great if others know your passphrase.

Passphrase Security Recommendations

  • Never share your passphrase. Do not be fooled by suspicious emails asking you for your passphrase. As a simple rule, never share it with anyone.
  • Change your passphrase on a regular basis, at least twice a year.
  • When creating a passphrase, you should use a combination of numbers, symbols, and letters (uppercase and lowercase).
  • Worried about writing your passphrases down where other people can see them? Use a password safe. A password safe allows you to securely save your passphrases in one safe place. Make sure to backup your passphrase safely, or keep a copy on multiple computers. This way you only need to remember one master password to access them all.  Here is a list of password-safe download resources.

Passphrase Creation Tips

How do you make passphrases that are both complex and easy to remember? To ensure security, be creative when setting your network user password. Here are some other ways to create a good password.

  • If you have trouble remembering complex passphrases, put phrases in between symbols. For example, baseballplayer38 is a weak password, however, Baseball38player# is much better.
  • When you change your passphrase, you should always change at least half of the characters to something new. For example, love2drive!cars could be used for the first 90 days and then you can switch to love2run#miles for the next 90 days.
  • Choose a line or two from your favorite song or poem, and use the first letter of each word. For example, "In Xanadu did Kubla Kahn a stately pleasure dome decree" becomes 1XdKK@spdd.
  • Pick two words, split them in half, and then merge them together with a symbol in between. For example, using the words society and exponential, the password then becomes Soc1ety#exPonential.
  • Spell a word in reverse. For example, ambulancelights becomes sthgilecnalubma. Following the recommended passphrase policy of using a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols, the passphrase then becomes $thg1lecnalubm@.