Your favorite song.
The title of the last book you read.
The name of your favorite family recipe.
Each of these has the potential to be an effective “passphrase,” experts say.
A passphrase is a set of words that, when used together, creates a strong defense against cyberintruders. For example: “GrandmasLasagnaSupreme” would be tough for a cybercriminal to crack.
The CyberSafe at USPS team offers these tips for creating passphrases for both Postal Service and personal accounts:
• Add special characters. When required, replace letters with special characters and numbers. Example: “Gr@ndmasLasagna$uprem3.”
• Make it long. Try to include the maximum characters possible.
• Don’t be repetitive. Avoid using repeated or sequential keyboard patterns, such as “aaaa” or “1111.”
• Be unique. Don’t reuse passwords across accounts or use a password from an account that was previously hacked.
The CyberSafe at USPS Blue page has more tips, while the LiteBlue page and USPSCyberSafe.com have general cybersecurity information.