The Corporation for National and Community Service require that you follow these rules when creating an eGrants password:
Must be at least 12 characters long and must not begin with a number
Must contain at least one numeric digit (but not in the 1st position of the password)
Must contain at least one special character (i.e. !#$%&()''*,/:;<=>?_)
Must contain at least one upper case and at least one lower case letter
Must not repeat any of your previous passwords
Must not contain your username
Should not contain a dictionary word
Should not contain any proper noun or the name of any person, pet, child, fictional character, or any information that could be readily guessed about you (birth date, telephone number, employee number, SSN, etc.)
Should not contain any simple pattern of letters or numbers, such as “xyz123" or which are easy to type.
Protecting your data and identity doesn't end, however, with creating a good password. Here are a few guidelines for keeping both safe:
Change your password every 60 days
Never share your password with your co-workers, supervisor, consultants, or technicians
Never write down your password
Always log out of eGrants before leaving your computer