How to change your network account password

  1. Open a terminal window. (If you are doing this remotely, then connect to your account using SSH.)
  2. Type the command yppasswd and follow the instructions. (Afterwards, use exit to exit the shell.)

Note: We are currently migrating to a new account infrastructure. During the transition, grad students will need to log in to puma (not gila) to run yppasswd.

Note: this does not change your vnc password. Use the command vncpasswd to change your vnc password.

Password Rules:

  1. A password must begin with either an alphabet (uppercase or lowercase) or an underscore
  2. A password must have uppercase and lowercase letters, or non-letters
  3. A password can have numbers in it too though it cannot start with a digit
  4. Passwords cannot be dictionary words or dictionary words spelt backwards
  5. Passwords cannot be dictionary words with an added digit
  6. Passwords cannot be repeated sequence of a few letters eg: aaabbb
  7. A password must be at lease six characters in length

Tips for creating a good password

  1. Choose a password with at least 8 characters. Mix up the password with different characters such as letters and numbers.
  2. Be sure to change your password regularly and use different passwords for different services
  3. If you a going to keep a written reminder of your password, keep it far away from your computer.
  4. Never use a password that is too easy for anyone to find out. Passwords that hackers first attempt are "blank", "password", and "administrator."
  5. Never use a password that would be easy for someone who knows you could figure out. Easy passwords to find are: birthdays, maiden name, last name, place of birth, etc.
  6. Never use your login as your password!
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