Picking a good password might not seem like a very important skill, but after today’s class all of the 6th graders can tell you otherwise.

Chester Bennington, the lead singer of the band Linkin Park used an easy password (his middle name) and it caused his life over a year’s worth of frustration, confusion and stress (please note: the Wired.com article contains direct quotes with strong language).  6th graders heard this tale of grief, confusion, sleuthing and nuclear facilities.

Here are some handy password tips the 6th grade came up with:

  • Use UPPER and lowercase letters
  • Use numbers – replace an “o” with a zero or an “i” with a 1
  • Use symbols – replace an “a” with the @ symbol
  • Make your password a passphrase – 2 or more words together
  • Make your password at least 8 letters long