VT Password Info

VT will expire your PID and Hokies passwords once a year.

• How to change all your VT passwords: http://computing.vt.edu/kb/entry/3924
• Creating strong passwords: http://www.awareness.security.vt.edu/passwords/strong_passwords.html

Use a passphrase instead of a password

At the most basic level, a password's strength is derived from it's length. The longer the password, the better.

This means passphrase of 4 words, "correct horse battery staple" is stronger than a password of relative complexity, "Tr0ub4dor&3"

This XKCD comic illustrates the issue: https://xkcd.com/936/

Suggestions for creating a passphrase

• Think of your favorite poem or book.
• Choose a line from your favorite movie.
• Use a nonsensical phrase of words, something that has meaning to you.

Type it out. Make sure it is at least 4 words long. Now, because almost all sites require AlphaNumeric + Special characters, you should capitalize one or more words and add punctuation.

• Example: "Correct horse Battery staple!"