Brian Walker
Chapter Chair
The FCC’s new cybersecurity rules published in the Federal Register in June, 2026 mandate the following standards for EAS Equipment and take effect on September 29, 2026:
Key Password Requirements:
- Length: Passwords must be at least 15 characters long.
- Complexity: Passwords must not contain dictionary words or common phrases.
- Uniqueness: Passwords must not be reused across different accounts, equipment, applications, or services.
- Defaults: Factory or default passwords must be changed prior to any use to broadcast to the public.
- Compromise: Passwords must be changed immediately if there is reason to believe they have been compromised.
- In case you want to cause great damage to your mental stability, go here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-26-38A1.pdf for all the details.
Example: LongLiveRockandRoll#2026 is not a valid password because it has a common phrase and it also has five words found in the dictionary.
If you substitute some numbers for the letters you can come up with something like: L0n8L1v340ck&40ll#2026 and that meets the FCC requirements.
Best of luck to you and yours.
Let’s talk again soon,
Brian Walker