While passwords and passphrases essentially serve the same purpose—providing access to secure services or sensitive information—passwords are generally short, hard to remember, and easier to crack.

Passphrases are easier to remember and type. They are considered more secure due to the overall length of the passphrase and the fact that it shouldn’t need to be written down.

Here are some tips for creating a good passphrase that complies with HawkID password requirements: 

• Make up a sentence or a phrase that you can remember.
• Include some memorable “encoding” in the phrase. For example, “Iowa winters are cold” would not be an acceptable HawkID passphrase, as it doesn't include two special characters or numbers. But “Iowa w1nters are c0ld!” meets minimum complexity requirements in addition to having a secure length of 15 or more characters.