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CSD Helpdesk FAQ

Password Security

(Updated 02/11/2008)

 

 

Password security is important for all accounts. Maintaining good password security helps protect your eMail, records and reports, as well as your class work, projects and tests.

 

One of the most effective and easiest ways to maintain good security is to change your password often. We suggest changing your password at least once every 30 days. However, campus policy only requires it to be changed once every 180 days.

 

You should also be sure that your password is difficult for someone else to figure out, but easy for you to remember. To help ensure this, campus password policy requires you to create a complex password. See the instructions below for changing your password and creating a complex password.

 

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Creating a Secure Password

 

 

PASSWORD REQUIREMENTS:

USCA password policy requires that your password meet the following requirements:

Must not contain your name or username, in whole or in part.

 

Must be a minimum of eight characters long.

 

Must contains characters from three of the following four categories:
English uppercase characters (A through Z).
English lowercase characters (a through z).
Numeric characters (0 through 9).
Non-alphanumeric (for example, !, $, #, %). extended ASCII, symbolic, or linguistic characters.

PASSWORD VS. PASSPRHASE:

We recommend using a passphrase, which is an easy to remember sentence or phrase. For example: ILoveSC803!

 

 

WHAT NOT TO USE:

Attackers and programs that try to break into your account know a large number of "frequently used" passwords. Here are some guidelines to avoid guessable passwords:

 

1. Don’t use your login name in any form (as-is, reversed, capitalized, doubled, with a prefix, with a suffix...).

 

2. Don’t use in any form your first or last name and, more generally, any information easily obtained about you. This includes car license plate numbers, telephone numbers, insurance numbers, the brand of your car, the name of the street you currently live on, the name of your spouse or of your children.

 

3. Don’t use a word contained in any dictionary of any language, spelling lists, or other lists of words (acronyms, sequences of letters like “abcdef” or “qwerty”, place names, car names, cartoon heroes...). Don’t assume the same strong password should be used for every system or program you log into. If an attacker does guess it, he would have access to all of your accounts.

 

 

MORE INFORMATION:

For more information on creating a complex password, please see the recent letter from Mike Lemons, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology.

 

 

 

Resetting Your Network Password from Campus Windows Computer

 

The simplest way to reset your USCA Network/USCA Network password, is to log into a Windows computer. With very few exceptions, all computers in campus classrooms and labs, with the exception of Mac's, are Microsoft Windows systems. After logging in, you can reset your password from any of these systems by following the instructions below.

 

Press the CTRL + ALT + DEL keys on your keyboard. The Windows Security screen will pop-up.

 

Click on the Change Password button.

 

IMPORTANT: Never select “Remember my password” on a public computer.

 

Click on the OK button.

 

NOTE : The screen shots shown here are from a Windows XP computer. If you use a Mac or different version of Windows, the view will be slightly different.

 

 

 

Resetting your Password from Off-Campus, CleanAccess or on a Mac

 

To reset your password from off-campus, while using Clean Access or while on a Mac, please go to the following page: https://mail.usca.edu/iisadmpwd/aexp2b.asp

 

When you click on the above link you will be presenting this screen.

 

Please enter your Username and Current Password.

 

Then click OK.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You will then be shown this screen.

 

Enter your Username.

 

In the Old Password field, enter your Current Password.

 

Then enter the New Password of your choice in the next two fields to confirm the password you would like.

 

Be sure to follow the Password Requirements listed above.

 

Click OK and your password should now be changed.

 

If you click OK and then are shown this same screen again, it means you have not completed the fields correctly. This may mean you've entered your Old Password incorrectly, or entered a New Password which did not meet the Requirements.

 

If you are still unable to change your password, please stop by the Helpdesk for assistance.