Password Policy

Password Rules:

• Your login ID and password authenticate you as an authorized user of the University of Richmond's computing environment. A strong password is key to the University's overall systems security. You must protect your files and University resources by choosing a good password and protecting it.
• You are responsible for safeguarding the passwords for your computing accounts. Passwords must not be shared or disclosed to anyone including friends or family. If another person learns your password, that individual has the ability to access your e-mail, your personal files, and your online network identity, and accounts. A knowledgeable person could use your account to attempt to gain unauthorized access to other networked resources, putting them at risk. No one should be given your password—not even someone from Information Services. If you become aware that someone else has learned your password you should change it immediately.
• Hackers gain access to systems by "cracking" accounts. They typically accomplish this through the use of automated processes to discover account IDs and passwords. Using a dictionary word or your account ID for a password puts your system (and the University's systems) at higher risk of attack by hackers.
• It is strongly recommended that you change all your passwords regularly, at least twice per year. Your University of Richmond network and Banner passwords must be changed at least once during the fall term and once during the spring term.
• Do not use the password that you choose for your University of Richmond accounts with other off-campus services such as Ning, Google, or MySpace. This is to protect your Richmond accounts in case those services are breached or in case your service provider does not encrypt passwords during the authentication process. You must change your password immediately if you notice unusual activity on your system or account. If you suspect that someone is accessing computing resources using your identity, please contact the Help Desk at (804) 287-6400 or report it to the Information Services Security Administrator at security@richmond.edu.

How to Choose a Strong Password

• Do not use "dictionary words" (even if they are disguised by capital letters or numbers, like "RiCHmonD" or "birthday98"). Do not use words from other languages, names, dates, phone numbers, or anything else someone might be able to easily guess.
• A strong password should contain a minimum of six characters. The password for your University network account must be from seven to 10 characters.
• Use at least two letters and two numbers or special characters.
• Intersperse numbers, upper and lower case letters, and special characters. Allowable special characters are: [ ] & + * @ ! % ? = ~ #
• Your network password must include at least five unique characters, but no more than four can be in a "sequence" (e.g., "12345" or "abcdef" are not allowed).
• When you change your network password you may not select a network password that you used previously.
• Make your password easy for you to remember, but difficult for someone else to guess. Picking letters from a phrase that's meaningful to you may make a good password. For example, "Fall 05 classes begin on August 29" becomes F0cboA2.
• Use a unique password. Do not use one that you are using for some other purpose, such as your PIN at your bank or your password to an external mail service.

If You Forget Your Password

• Contact the Help Desk at (804) 287-6400 (you will be asked to provide information to verify your identity) or visit the Help Desk in Jepson Hall G-19 (with your picture ID) to have your password reset.