College of Engineering,
Going into the spring semester, we are performing a password change exercise across the College of Engineering. We have discovered a possible method by which College of Engineering systems could have been compromised and a password change will mitigate this concern.
Please change your College of Engineering (CAE) password by February 11, 2025 to ensure continued access to College of Engineering technology services. Instructions to change your password can be found in the CAE KB: https://kb.wisc.edu/cae/122764. If you do not know your CAE password, you can reset it with you r NetID by following these instructions: https://kb.wisc.edu/cae/5542. If you do not know your CAE password and cannot use the NetID form, please contact the CAE Help Desk at helpdesk@cae.wisc.edu.
A password change will also give us the opportunity to ensure all accounts meet current standards for passwords as recommended by NIST[1]. We will also be rolling out the ability for you to set a verbal verification word, to help our support staff ensure that only you can request account changes over the phone.
We strongly recommend changing your password anywhere you use the same one as CAE (e.g., NetID Login). It’s crucial to create unique passwords for each account to enhance security and to avoid reusing passwords across multiple sites. Instead, generate unique passwords for all your accounts and store them securely in a password manager, such as the free 1Password account available to UW-Madison students and employees[2].
Thank you.
Computer-Aided Engineering and
College of Engineering Leadership
[1] NIST – National Institute of Standards and Technology, specifically NIST Special Publication 800-63-3 (and upcoming 800-63-4): https://pages.nist.gov/800-63-3/.
[2] More information at: https://it.wisc.edu/services/1password/