Bottom Line Up Front

• Using passphrases instead of simple passwords will significantly increase your account security
• As staff with access to protected student data, we must follow all current cybersecurity measures and prevent data breaches to the best of our abilities

Password vs Passphrase

You are probably familiar with typical password requirements: 

• At least eight characters
• Include at least one: capital & lowercase letter, number, and symbol

A weak password that technically meets these requirements might look like:

Un!qu3PW

In comparison, a passphrase is a longer version of a password - typically a string of words with spaces in between. When cybercriminals use brute force password cracking tools, longer passwords are much harder for them to decode. Examples of secure passphrases could include: 

Cyan Monkey Dishwasher Arugula         
Nebulous Rainbow Butterfly Throng         
Smooth Jazz Miniature Honeybee

Those 3 examples may not contain special characters or numbers, but they are exponentially more secure simply due to their length. Web comic XKCD explains this concept:

“Password Strength”

Passphrase Guidelines

• Be creative! Grammar doesn't count, so use spaces, spelling, and punctuation however you want! 
• Avoid song lyrics, popular sayings, and nursery rhymes (strong passphrases are a series of unrelated words).
• Break out that thesaurus and use uncommon words! Simple words can be easier to crack.
• For extra security, add capitalization and special characters (punctuation counts!)
• Use at least 15 characters (easily accomplished with 4 or 5 words)

Never

• Share your password, especially with a coworker or substitute
• Write your password in a public place (on a sticky note, etc)
• Reuse the same password for multiple accounts
• Enter your password into a Google Form

Changing Passwords

To start the password reset process:

• Log into ClassLink
• Select the CSD Suite Folder
  • 
  • Select the Reset Password (CSD) link
    • Or go directly to https://password.csd509j.net