Password tips and advice
Your username and password give you access to your University IT account. It is important that:
- Your password is secret and safe - don't tell anyone and don't write it down anywhere
- Your password is strong - don't let it be easily guessed
- Your password is solely for university systems - don't share it with other accounts
Keeping your password secret
If you have accidentally told someone your password or think someone may have it, you must change your password immediately. Find out how to change your password.
Keeping your password strong
Strong passwords are good passwords because they are difficult to guess. The password changer insists on strong passwords to help protect you, it ensures they are long and sufficiently complex. Your password must be:
- At least ten characters long
- Have both uppercase and lowercase letters
- Have digits or punctuation as well as letters
Your password must not solely be made up of:
- Anybody's name
- Any information relating to you or anybody else (birthday, NI number, car registration, star sign, etc.)
- A single word found in a dictionary in any language
- Any of these spelt backwards
- Any of these followed or prepended by a single digit
- Only these characters: £ | # " ' `
How to choose a strong password
There are many strategies to pick a password, like using a short sentence:
| What to do | Example |
|---|---|
| Start with a short sentence | I want a strong password |
| Remove the spaces between the words | Iwantastrongpassword |
| Add odd capitals and misspell or use shorthand | IwntAstrONGpasswd |
| Add numbers that are meaningful but not your birthday | IwntAstrONGpasswd28 |
Or you can start with a longer sentence or phrase:
| What to do | Example |
|---|---|
| Start with a long sentence | All I want this new year is a really strong password |
| Remove the spaces between the words | AIwtNYiarsp |
| Add special characters or numbers | AIwtNYiarsp25? |