Annual password change coming up

Published: 10 October 2016

Soon you'll be asked to change your GUID password. Here are some useful tips.

Last year an exercise was carried out to get everyone to change their password in line with University policy and best security practice.

GUID passwords need to be changed at least once per academic year and over the coming months we will be repeating this exercise though it will be over a longer period. However, you can change your password now by visiting MyGlasgow then select the 'Change your password' link.

Guidelines, passwords and what to do

Passwords should be

  • 8 characters minimum (however, a longer passphrase is recommended)
  • Have at least one non-letter
  • Be changed at least once per year

What NOT to do

  • Don't use anything obvious like a name, a dictionary word in any language, a password used on another site, or a password you've used before. 
  • Don't write passwords down and leave them unsecured anywhere.
  • Never disclose or share your password with ANYONE.

If someone demands to know your password, refuse and refer them to the IT Services Helpdesk for advice. If you suspect that one of your accounts or passwords has been compromised then you must report this via the IT Helpdesk.

A tip

One way to create passwords that can be easily remembered is to base them on a song title or phrase. For example, the phrase: "This May Be One Way To Remember" could be used to create the password: "TmB1w2R!"

Passphrases

A passphrase is a longer version of a password and should, therefore, be more secure. A passphrase is typically composed of multiple words. A good pass phrase should be:

  • Long enough to be hard to guess
  • Easy to remember and type accurately
  • Not a famous quotation from literature or other published material

Here's an example: https://xkcd.com/936/


First published: 10 October 2016

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