Password Security Requirements

Why Strong Passwords Matter

We understand that there is a trade off between choosing a complex secure password – and choosing a password that you can remember.

Regardless of the platform, a secure and sensible password is a must.

A professional hacker doesn’t really mind whether you are accessing cloud, server, or desktop data. The software professional hackers use to crack your password is capable of make up to 100 billion password guesses per second.

• A password with 6 or fewer letters can be cracked in 0.02 seconds.
• A password with 10 letters and numbers takes around 10.45 hours to crack.
• Adding symbols and uppercase letters increases that time to over 54 years.

Abtrac Password Requirements

Password length

• Minimum of 8 characters
• Maximum of 50 characters

Password complexity

Passwords must include at least one character from three of the following four categories:

• Uppercase letters (A–Z)
• Lowercase letters (a–z)
• Numbers (0–9)
• Symbols (see list below)

For example “Welcome1” is an acceptable password as it includes uppercase, lowercase and a number (satisfying three conditions).

Allowed characters

Uppercase letters: A–Z
Lowercase letters: a–z
Numbers: 0–9
Symbols:
@ # $ % ^ & * - _ ! + = [ ] { } | \ : ' , . ? / \ ~ ” ( ) ; < >`
(blank space is also allowed)

How to reset your passwords in Abtrac

There are several ways to reset passwords in Abtrac, depending on whether you’re managing your own account or updating logins for others.

For Administrators

Administrators can manage password resets in two ways:

• Reset a password for an individual user
  Go to Administration → Employees → Login Management and select the employee.
  From here, you can edit their login and enter a new password if required.
• Force a rolling password reset
  To require all users to change their passwords, go to
  Administration → Settings → System Settings → Employees and use the rolling password reset option.

For Individual Users

• When logged in:
  Click your profile icon → Change Login Details to update your password (or email login).
• If you’ve forgotten your password:
  Use the Forgot Password link on the Abtrac login page.
  Enter your email address to receive a temporary password, then log in and set a new one.

Read more about Logins and Passwords here

Tips for Creating Secure Passwords

Here are some simple guidelines to make your passwords both secure and manageable:

Complexity

Include at least three character types:

• Numbers
• Symbols
• Lowercase letters
• Uppercase letters

Length

Use at least 8 characters (preferably 12 or more).

Variation

Change your passwords regularly.

Variety

Don’t use the same password for everything.

Creating Passwords You Can Remember

You can still create strong passwords that are easy to recall:

• Complexity: Use numbers or symbols in place of similar-looking letters.
  • Example: Luc@5 instead of Lucas
• Length: Add extra context or meaning to your base word.
  • Example: Luc@5 + 4email = Luc@54email
• Variation and Variety: Use a theme for your base passwords (e.g. your favourite movie characters like Lucas, Fisher, Wookie) and rotate them every few months.

What Not to Do

• Don’t write down your passwords.
• Don’t reuse passwords across systems.
• Don’t use common or easily guessed passwords — especially those on the “most common passwords” lists.

Enhancing Security: 2FA & Rolling Password Resets

To strengthen login security, Abtrac supports additional protective measures:

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Users can enable 2FA for an added layer of security (in addition to a password). This requires a secondary verification step (e.g. via SMS or Authenticator) when logging in.
Administrators can enforce 2FA for all users or reset 2FA settings for individuals.

Read more about Authentication in Abtrac here

Rolling Password Resets

Administrators can force a system-wide password reset, compelling all users to update their passwords. This is a useful measure after a security incident or periodically to maintain security hygiene.
The rolling reset option can be found under Administration → Settings → System Settings → Employees.

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