This document discusses guidelines for creating secure usernames and passwords. It recommends usernames that do not attract negative attention, reveal personal information, or use real names, ages or genders. The document notes the most commonly used passwords can be easily guessed or cracked. It provides tips for strong passwords, such as mixing uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols; being at least 8 characters; and not including personal information. Users are advised to keep passwords private and change them regularly for maximum security.

1. Username Usage and Password Security

2. Username Usage

4. Attracting Negative Attention InYoFace Badboy2U Lookin4Luv IMAHottie FatMama suPaFlirt

5. Revealing Information Tom_Evans34 Missy-13 AndyKarateKid ViolinGurl restlinmatch

7. BellaIsabella

8. DarkAngel666

9. Karla-Love-1996

10. SimplyMe

11. gun4hiRe

12. babyfaceLA

13. Watup?I8sushi2 Soccerstar Puppygirl234 keKe1995 Bookworm 2BorNot2b Choco-holic CapitlOfens

14. Project Create at least 3 different screen names that you think will meet all of these guidelines: Names that are not likely to attract negative attention Names that do not use bad language Names that don’t reveal any personal information Names that don’t reveal a real name, age, or gender

15. Password Security

16. Most Commonly Used Passwords Names of baseball, football or basketball teams Birth dates of family members The year of a special sports event The word “password” or variation The number sequence “123456” or letter/number variation such as “abc123” or “123abc” The name of a family member, pet, favorite TV show character, celebrity or band

17. Why are student accounts easily hacked? The password is cracked using a password cracking program. The password is easily guessed by others who know personal things about the student. Students write their passwords down where others are able to see it. Students give their password to friends who then decide to use it or give it to others who use it. Other students see the password as the student enters it on a keyboard.

18. Check Your Password

19. Does your password include the name of a family member or pet? -3 Does your password include a birth date of a family member? -3 Does your password contain one or more words that could be found in a dictionary (including French, Spanish, Italian, German)? -1 Does your password contain a random set of numbers? +2 Does your password contain both letters and numbers? +2 Does your password have 8 or more characters? +2 Does your password have less than 6 characters? -1 Does your password contain one or more non-number, non-letter characters such as a ! Or =? +3 Does the password contain the date of a well known event, such as the date a baseball team won the pennant? -1 Does your password contain at least 3 numbers in numerical sequence such as “123”? -2 Does your password contain any word spelled backwards? -1 Is your password written down on any piece of paper within 15 feet of your computer? -2 Does your password contain your telephone number, zip code, area code, or a portion of them? -2 Does your password include a mixture of UPPER and lower case letters? +2 Have you ever shared your current password with a friend? -3

20. Password Test Scoring EXCELLENT 8 or higher SOMEWHAT GOOD 4-7 Think about adding some other characters to your password VERY POOR Less than 4 Time to make a new password

21. Tips for a VERY STRONG password Always use a mix of letters and numbers Use a mix of UPPER and lower case letters Use characters that are not letters or number such as =!$# Always use a password that contains 6 letters or more Create acronyms (a word that is created by taking the first letter of a sequence of words)

22. Individual Project Create a secure password Think of a line from a song and write it down. Create an acronym from the first letter of each word in the line. Change at lease one letter (not the first) to a capital letter. Add a non-number, non-letter character, or a substitute a ! For an I, $ for an s, etc. Add a two or three digit number.

23. Individual Project Create a secure password Think of the name of someone you admire and write it down. Create a four-letter acronym from the first two letters of their first and last name. Change at least one letter (not the first) to a capital letter. Add a non-number, non-letter character or substitute a ! for an I, $ for an s, etc. Mix in two numbers taken from your age. Don’t put these numbers next to each other.