USNH Password policy

On Monday, October 28, the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) will enact a new password policy based on current industry standards. The new, low impact policy will apply to all USNH applications and campuses. The new standards call for a password between 14-64 characters with no complexity (for example, it can be all lowercase) and no limits on special characters.

USNH employees will stay on their current password change schedule. After October 28, once employees satisfy the new requirements, they will not have to change their password for a year. Employees will still receive password reminders via email. 

While employees can use any combination of letters, recent research shows using passphrases instead of traditional passwords are more secure and easier to remember. Here’s an article published by the Washington Post which explains the differences between passwords and passphrases: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/08/11/theres-a-new-way-to-make-strong-passwords-and-its-way-easier/

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