Henry A. Rowland Department of Physics and Astronomy PUC Lab

Passwords and Accounts

• How do I change my password?
• How do I obtain a password for my account?
• I have forgotten my password. What do I do?
• What are the password length and character requirements and restrictions?
• Why do I need to use good passwords?
• What is a "good" password?
• How do I make up a good password?
• How often should or must I change my password?
• My account is locked out. What do I do?
• My account is expired. What do I do?
• How do I obtain an Account?

Q. How do I change my password?

A. Press the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys simultaneously any time you are logged on. This will interrupt your current activities and bring up the "Windows Security" window. Click on "Change Password..." You will then see the Change Password window. Enter the appropriate information (see "What are the password length and character requirements and restrictions?" and "How do I make up a good password?") and click "OK" to change your password. You may not use any of your previous three passwords. Changes will go into effect immediately. You may then resume whatever activities you were doing before launching the "Windows Security" window.

Q. How do I obtain a password for my account?

A. This will be emailed to you when your account is first established. You will be required to change your password the first time you log on to your account.

Q. I have forgotten my password. What do I do?

A. Contact the systems administrator by email or by telephone. After verifying your identity, he will reset the password on your account.

Q. What are the password length and character requirements and restrictions?

A. It is important, for reasons discussed elsewhere in this FAQ, that you choose a good password and keep the password secret.

The following restrictions are in effect:

• Passwords must be between 6 to 14 characters in length.
• Passwords must contain at least three of the following:
  • Uppercase letters A-Z
  • Lowercase letters a-z
  • Numbers 0-9
  • Non-alphanumeric characters (#, $, *, etc)
• Password may not contain your user name or any part of your full name.

Q. Why do I need to use good passwords?

A.Not only do passwords protect your files, they prevent unauthorized users from gaining access to the PUCLAB network and resources. The greatest threat to the PUC lab network is of a malicious intruder learning the username and password for a PUCLAB account.

PUCLAB user accounts are quite powerful. Restrictions on the accouts are minimal in order to allow users maximum access to computer resources. Although there are security measures in place to prevent inadverdent harm, a knowledgable intruder can do a great deal of damage (removing crucial operating systems files, for example) via an ordinary user's account. For this reason, it is extremely important to choose good passwords for your account and to keep this password secret.

Q. What is a "good" password?

A. A good password is one that is 7 - 14 characters long, difficult to guess, contains upper case, lower case, numerical and other characters, and is easy to remember. It cannot be found in any dictionary of any sort in any language, and is not based on some characteristic of the user that might be guessed.

Q. How do I make up a good password?

A.Here are three good methods:

• Method 1: Think of a favorite line of a poem or song. Take the first letter, the second letter, or the last letter of each word of the line, and juxtapose them. Example: "La Seine a de la Chance" (a French poem by Jacques Prévart) yields "lsadlc." Next, capitalize one or more letters, and add a number or character from the keyboard in some fashion that you will remember. By symmetry (a characteristic that helps me remember--but dangerous if used too often), I'll capitalize the middle two words, and add "$22" after them. The final result is lsAD$22lc, a password quite difficult to crack yet one that I will remember without having to write it down.
• Method 2: Take two words, juxtapose them, and add numbers or symbols in some fashion that makes sense to you. Examples: fridge44cat; 7tree7zip; and tar%mush. This method produces passwords that are not as strong as the first method but that are nevertheless pretty secure.
• Method 3: If you have good "finger memory," type 7 or more characters meeting the password restrictions discussed above in a sequence that is comfortable and that has some pattern that you will remember. Avoid the use of words or names of any kind or obvious sequences such as "asdfjkl" [the home row of the keyboard].

Q. How often should or must I change my password?

A.  Passwords must be changed when you suspect that someone may have learned your password.  There is no requirements to change your password at regular intervals.  However, doing so will ensure maximal security. The most important rules are to:

1. Create a good password (See How do I make up a good password?); and
2. Keep this password secret by memorizing it, never writing it down, never giving it to anyone, and never letting someone see you typing it on the keyboard.

Q. My account is locked out. What do I do?

A. An account is locked out when someone tries to log on to a computer using an account name with an invalid password. After seven unsuccessful logon attempts, the computer will lock out that account. After one hour, the account will be re-activated, and a user may again attempt to log on. The most common reason for a lockout is that a user has changed his or her password and has forgotten the new password. If this is the case, contact the systems administrator.

Q. My account is expired. What do I do?

A. All user accounts expire on a date that depends on the user's eligibility for a PUC lab account. If you are still eligible for an account and still have your PUC lab key, contact the systems administrator directly. If you do not have a PUC lab key, see the Bloomberg Building Manager.