The busy season is finally in the rearview mirror. As part of your New Year’s resolution, Cybersafe at USPS® asks you to make security a priority by changing your password into a passphrase.
A passphrase is a unique set of letters, symbols, and numbers (along with your login ID) that grants access to your USPS® devices and accounts. Using a unique, complex, and familiar phrase will make it easier to remember your account credentials while making it more difficult for hackers to steal information.
To create a passphrase, start with a song lyric, poem, or phrase that is easy to remember. For example, “Be Cybersafe.” Next, swap letters for special characters and numbers to add complexity. Then, add a unique identifier to further differentiate your passphrase across accounts. The final passphrase for work would look something like this: B3_Cyb3rs*f3_w0^k.
Passphrases can be unique and personalized, but must still follow the requirements stated in Handbook AS-805, Information Security, section 9-6.1:
n Minimum of 15 characters.
n Uses three of these four character types:
n One uppercase letter,
n One lowercase letter,
n One numeral, or
n One special character (e.g., &, $, or @).
Keep all passphrases in a secure location. Don’t reuse passphrases across accounts, and never share them with anyone, as doing so is a violation of security policy. Users must change their passphrase every 90 days.
If you think your passphrase has been compromised, call the Cybersecurity Operations Center at 866-877-7247 or send an email to CyberSafe@usps.gov. For general cybersecurity information, visit the CyberSafe at USPS websites on Blue (blue.usps.gov/cyber) and LiteBlue (liteblue.usps.gov/cyber).
— Corporate Information Security Office,
Chief Information Security Officer
and Digital Solutions, 1-16-20
