Microsoft’s Definition of a Strong Password
Microsoft has a definition of what it considers a ’strong’ password, and encourages server administrators to enforce the strong password rules. Here they are:
1. The password must be at least seven (7) characters long
2. The password needs to contain one character from three of the following four categories:
- UPPERCASE letters
- lowercase letters
- numbers
- characters (such as @, #, &, or *)
Some examples:
Good: Rac7plq (seven long, one cap, one lowercase, one number)
Bad: Raadbied (eight long, one cap, one lowercase; missing either a number or a character)
Remember: the password needs to be strong, but you need to be able to remember it!
- Randy Garland 123 Technology