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Passphrasepower.

Long beats tricky. Four silly words are stronger than one clever word.

  • 2-minute lesson
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  1. 1Why it matters

    Build a passphrase: the silly-sentence method

    A password is a secret that unlocks your account. A passphrase is a password made of several words. Long passphrases are much harder for someone to guess. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) suggests passwords of at least 16 characters, such as 4 to 7 random words that do not belong together.

    Here is the silly-sentence method:

    • Step 1 — Picture something silly. Imagine a scene that could never happen, like a sleepy cactus eating blue soup.
    • Step 2 — Pick 4 or more words from it. Sleepy, Cactus, Eats, Blue, Soup.
    • Step 3 — Squish them together. Use capital letters to see each word: SleepyCactusEatsBlueSoup.
    • Step 4 — Make it yours. Do not use our example. Do not use your name, pet, birthday or favorite team. Those are easy to guess.

    Rules for passphrases:

    • Keep it secret. Only you and your grown-up know it. Not friends, not best friends, not people in games.
    • One for each account. Your game and your email should not share a passphrase.
    • School accounts: your school may give you a password. Follow your teacher's rules for those.

    If a friend asks for your passphrase, you can say, "I don't share passwords with anyone. It's not personal."

  2. 2Do this

    • Make it long

      Pick four or more random words, like purple-taco-moon-rocket. Length is what makes it hard to guess.

    • One per account

      Use a different passphrase for your game, your email and your school account.

    • Keep it secret

      Share it only with a trusted adult at home or your teacher. Not friends, not players in a game.

    Try this
    • Silly sentence
    • 4+ random words
    • Never your name or birthday
    • Different for each account

    Someone saw it? Change it right away and tell a trusted adult. That is the smart move, not a mistake.

  3. 3Quick check

    Which is the strongest passphrase?
    Who should know your passphrase for your game account?

    Choose an answer for each question.

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