What do I do if I forget my password?
If you by chance forget your password please click here to create a new one. Make sure to follow the guidelines listed below for password creation.
How do I choose a secure password?
To know what makes a password good, it is necessary to know what makes a password bad. A bad password is one that is easily guessed by a stranger, a friend, or a computer program. Examples of bad passwords are:
- License plate numbers
- Dates
- Words found in any dictionary, including languages other than English, slang, jargon, abbreviations, proper names, etc.
- Combinations of dictionary words
- Dictionary words spelled backwards
- Numbers
- Any personal information
What is left? With all of these restrictions, it is still possible to come up with a password that is easy to remember, yet cryptic enough not to be guessable. One of the most popular ways to select a good password that is easily remembered is to take a
phrase or quote that you can remember.
A Linux system password should be at least 6 characters long and include at least one upper case letter (A-Z), digit (0-9) or punctuation character (such as . , or - ). Passwords will not be accepted in Unix if: they are less than 6 characters long match anything in your Unix account information, such as your login name or an item from your "finger" data entry are found in the system's spelling dictionary have more than 2 repeated characters; thus "aaa" would be rejected. Included in prohibited passwords are names of people and places or any password that has one or more illegal characters in it. A ^ before a character means that the Ctrl key is held at the same time as the specified character. Illegal characters include: ^c, ^d, ^g, ^h (or Backspace), ^i (or Tab), ^j, ^m, ^o, ^r, ^s, ^q, ^y, ^z, ^\, ^, Delete, @, and #.
Note: Linux administrators randomly run a program called crack. The purpose of this program is to test all the user passwords to see if they are too easily guessed. If it finds a password that is too easy, the Unix account is automatically suspended until the user changes his password.
How to Choose a Good Password:
-
Choose a short, simple phrase, six to eight words, that will be easy for you to remember.
I like to eat green peas. -
If any of the words are homonyms for other letters or symbols, write them with those symbols (e.g. are =r, you = u, two = 2)
I like 2 eat green peas. -
Now, make an acronym. Drop all but the first letter of each word.
Il2egp -
Capitalize arbitrarily, but with restraint, try to keep the password easy to remember.
iL2eGp -
Add a punctuation mark or two to bring your password's length to seven or eight characters.
iL2eGp!
How do I change my password on my CAE Windows or Linux account?
Use the link at the top of the page under What Do I Do If I Forget My Password. Changing your password on either platform automatically changes your password on the other platform.
To help protect the security of your account, please remember the following:
- Do not write your password down.
- Do not tell anyone your password. The administrator of a computer system NEVER needs to know anyone else's password.
- Do not use the same password elsewhere. If your password is somehow disclosed at another site or ours, it would make it very easy for a cracker (not a saltine) to cause damage at multiple sites.
- Do not keep it in any files.
- Do not send it via email.