Passport York uses a password strength estimator to ensure that users set strong, difficult to crack passwords for their account.  This is done in order to increase the security of their various accounts at the University.

The estimator analyzes passwords and assigns them a score based on their complexity. We have increased the score required for a password to be acceptable by Passport York.

This means that some passwords that were deemed acceptable previously may no longer be acceptable. When setting a password if it's not acceptable you may need to increase the length of your password or add extra words or special characters to be able to use it.  You should also avoid using any common words or personal information in your passwords.  For more tips on creating strong password see https://infosec.yorku.ca/three-easy-tips-to-choose-a-strong-password/.

Regardless of this change, users should continue to adhere to good security practices, such as never using the same password in different sites or using a password manager to generate strong passwords.