Protect yourself from hackers with a mighty passphrase!

If you're not worried about the security of your password, type "hacking passwords" into a search engine, then think again. According to a 2005 U.S. government report, information security breaches expose millions of consumers to potential identity theft, a rapidly growing crime that now costs $50 billion per year. Now, consider the fact that identity theft is just ONE of a growing number of illegal activities that often take place electronically and online.


To get started on computer security, visit NUIT's
5 Simple Steps to Get Control or download the
Get Control brochure (pdf).

You are responsible for protecting University resources and data. Your password is your first line of defense against hackers and malicious individuals who are looking for opportunities to use your identity while they damage systems or steal information for illegal activities. If your password is a single word or something easily guessed, hackers are looking for you!

A weak password puts you and the University at a real risk of being victimized. Using a passphrase makes your password difficult for hackers to crack by adding complexity. Take a sentence or phrase that only you know and use the first letter of each word to make a completely unique password (a passphrase). The most secure passphrases/passwords:

  • are a mix of upper and lower case letters and numbers
  • contain punctuation
  • are a minimum of eight characters long
  • are changed frequently

Northwestern and NUIT ask you to make and maintain a secure password by using a passphrase and changing your password frequently. Do your part to keep the University's network and resources safe. Check out NUIT's new and ongoing Security Awareness Tip of the Month: The Mighty Passphrase to learn more about passphrases and safe computing.