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Your UCInetID is your key to online services at UCI. It serves as your single credential for most online services on campus. A poorly chosen password may result in unauthorized access and/or exploitation of UCI resources. Everyone with access to UCI computing and networking resources is responsible for taking the appropriate steps, as outlined below, to select and secure their passwords.
Choose a secure password, and treat it as you would any other important piece of your identity information. You should also be careful when using public or shared computers, borrowing a computer from an acquaintance, or using public wireless networking.
Do not use the same password for UCI accounts that you use for other non-UCI access such as your personal banking, ISP, trading, etc.
Choosing a Good Password
Choosing a password can be a daunting task. You must choose one that no one can guess but you can remember! Here are some guidelines to help you.
- You may not re-use any of your past passwords.
- Pick a password that has at least 8 characters. Generally speaking, the longer your password is, the more secure it is.
- Our system requires that your password contains at least one alphabetical character [a-z/A-Z].
- Passwords are case-sensitive and can have both upper and lower case letters. Using MiXeD case in your password increases its security.
- Our system also requires that your password contain at least one non-alphabetical character, which is not the first or last character of the password.
- Including numbers and punctuation increases the strength of your password.
- A good way to create a password is to think of a phrase and then use the first character of each word in the phrase, adding in punctuation and numbers.
- Using a long phrase, up to 63 characters creates a very strong password/passphrase
Things to Avoid
- Do not use your current password or any of your previous passwords. If someone previously obtained your password, they might try to use it again.
- Do not use non-printable characters such as those created by using the CTRL or ALT key on your keyboard.
- Do not use alphabetic or keyboard sequential characters such as “abcde” or “qwerty”.
- Do not use the same character more than twice. For example, we do not allow passwords that contain “aaa” or “jjj”.
- Do not use any part of your Employee, Student, or Sponsored ID numbers.
- Avoid using any part of your date of birth in your password.
- Do not use your UCInetID, forward or reverse.
- Do not use any part of your name, forward or reverse.
Password Tips
- Remember to keep your password a secret. Do not share it with anyone! It is your only protection from someone using your UCInetID and your are responsible for anything done with your account.
- Change your password at least once per year.
- You may not re-use any of your past passwords.
- If you forget your password, you may re-activate your UCInetID if you know your password reset question. If you do not, you will need to visit the OIT Help Desk at Aldrich Hall room 115 and show them a photo ID to have your UCInetID enabled for re-activation.
- If you need help, contact the OIT Help Desk by telephone at (949) 824-2222 or send an email to oit@uci.edu.