If you want to change your new password to something easier to remember, you can do online at https://db.oregon.k12.wi.us/saml/passchange.php (This is the direct link to the form, but you can also get to it when you are in Gmail -> Settings -> Accounts -> Google Account Settings -> Change Password. (Phew!))
Alternatively, if you are logged in to a computer at school, you can press Ctrl-Alt-Del and then click the "Change Password" button.
Remember, your new password must be fifteen characters or longer, and contain at least one of the following: capital letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and non-alphanumeric characters. If this sounds impossible, read the helpful guide for choosing complex passwords that are easy to remember but hard to guess.
Showing posts with label passwords. Show all posts
Showing posts with label passwords. Show all posts
Friday, July 23, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Rescheduled new password date: Thursday, July 22
The rescheduled date for moving to our new passwords is this Thursday, July 22. By this time, we should have all outstanding issues resolved and all files transferred from the old servers.
Due to the unpredictability of this process, I'm not going to specify a time of day during which the change will take place. In fact, it may affect different services and different users at different times. You should expect your old password to stop working sometime during the day on Thursday, at which time you should being using your new password.
As always, if you have questions, please contact the helpdesk.
Thanks for your patience.
Due to the unpredictability of this process, I'm not going to specify a time of day during which the change will take place. In fact, it may affect different services and different users at different times. You should expect your old password to stop working sometime during the day on Thursday, at which time you should being using your new password.
As always, if you have questions, please contact the helpdesk.
Thanks for your patience.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Keep using your Novell passwords, for now
The technical problem with delayed our switch to the new Active Directory passwords has been resolved... sorta. After many hours (thanks, Doug!) our technical support engineer friends were able to fix the problem with the service. Unfortunately, it required steps which mean we have to re-do much of the migration work we had already done prior to the glitch.
We have not determined a new cutover date or time, though it will likely be early next week, July 19 or 20. We will try to give you some advance notice, but I know many of you are really anxious to use your new passwords, so we may just make the configuration changes.
Your best course of action for now is to continue using your Novell passwords to access email until they no longer work, then try using your new Microsoft Active Directory password.
If you are trying to log on to a computer at school, take a look at the login screen. If it says "Novell" on it, use your old Novell password. If it doesn't say "Novell," use your new Microsoft Active Directory password.
We have not determined a new cutover date or time, though it will likely be early next week, July 19 or 20. We will try to give you some advance notice, but I know many of you are really anxious to use your new passwords, so we may just make the configuration changes.
Your best course of action for now is to continue using your Novell passwords to access email until they no longer work, then try using your new Microsoft Active Directory password.
If you are trying to log on to a computer at school, take a look at the login screen. If it says "Novell" on it, use your old Novell password. If it doesn't say "Novell," use your new Microsoft Active Directory password.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Technical difficulties may delay migration
This morning (yes, the day before our scheduled migration to Active Directory...[sigh]), a significant technical glitch reared its ugly head. Essentially, the service which deploys applications to the computers stopped working.
Doug worked on it for many hours, along with technical support from several companies. We do not have a solution yet. This may delay our scheduled migration. We have more things to try, but don't have an ETA.
What this means to you:
Basically, just continue using your Novell password until it no longer works. If it stops working, then try using the new AD password. This applies to logging into computers on campus as well as web-based services such as email and Google Apps.
We will post more updates here as necessary.
Doug worked on it for many hours, along with technical support from several companies. We do not have a solution yet. This may delay our scheduled migration. We have more things to try, but don't have an ETA.
What this means to you:
Basically, just continue using your Novell password until it no longer works. If it stops working, then try using the new AD password. This applies to logging into computers on campus as well as web-based services such as email and Google Apps.
We will post more updates here as necessary.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Do you have your new password ready?
Do you have your fifteen character password ready?
This is a reminder that starting July 15, all staff must have a long password. New passwords must be at least fifteen characters long and contain at least one number and symbol.
The good news? Your password will not expire, so you won't ever have to change it unless it gets cracked.
If you are wondering why, or need help creating a password that long that you can also remember, please read "How to choose a good password" on our documentation site.
On July 15, we will switch our servers from Novell to Microsoft. This means your current Novell password will no longer work, and you will have to start using a new one. Because we cannot see or export your current passwords, we will assign you a new one that you must start using on July 15.
Before the end of school, you will receive a piece of paper which will contain your new password. On July 15, you will need to start using this new password. You may want to change it to something you can remember more easily, but you must use the password issued to you at least once to log in and change your password.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact me or read the detailed explanation at http://sites.google.com/a/oregonsd.net/technology-integration-tool/Home/passwords (staff login required).
This is a reminder that starting July 15, all staff must have a long password. New passwords must be at least fifteen characters long and contain at least one number and symbol.
The good news? Your password will not expire, so you won't ever have to change it unless it gets cracked.
If you are wondering why, or need help creating a password that long that you can also remember, please read "How to choose a good password" on our documentation site.
On July 15, we will switch our servers from Novell to Microsoft. This means your current Novell password will no longer work, and you will have to start using a new one. Because we cannot see or export your current passwords, we will assign you a new one that you must start using on July 15.
Before the end of school, you will receive a piece of paper which will contain your new password. On July 15, you will need to start using this new password. You may want to change it to something you can remember more easily, but you must use the password issued to you at least once to log in and change your password.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact me or read the detailed explanation at http://sites.google.com/a/oregonsd.net/technology-integration-tool/Home/passwords (staff login required).
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Proposed new password policies for next year
New password policies for next year
I am proposing two big changes to the district's password policy. The two big changes are: 1) Passwords will never automatically expire; and 2) Passwords will have to be fifteen characters long and have some complexity. These go hand-in-hand. If the passwords are long and complex, they probably won't be cracked, so they won't ever need to be changed.
Why will they never expire?
Research on IT best practices shows that the more frequently passwords are changed, the simpler they become. We also know that changing a password regularly doesn't necessarily stop bad things from happening- it simply blocks out an intruder who happens to get your password. Also, we know it's annoying when passwords expire.
Why will they have to be fifteen characters long?
Again, IT best practices show that long, complex passwords are more secure. There are many reasons for this, but there are two I'm focusing on.
First, there is a very easy password cracking tool that students use (yes, even Oregon students have used this) which can crack any Windows password with a length of fourteen characters or less. Adding the fifteenth character might not seem like much, but the exponential increase in complexity, combined with the way that Windows hashes passwords makes this a huge difference. The second reason for complex passwords is that if a student happens to see or hear a password, it should be something that's difficult to remember. For example if you write down your password (in your wallet or some other place where people won't see it) and a student catches a glimpse, they could remember "BrianJoeErica1990" more easily than "mfdwmfswam3m0ri@lu"
How can we remember all that gibberish?!?
The secret is that it's not really gibberish. The password above, "mfdwmfswaM3m0ri@lU" only looks like gibberish. In fact, it's based on a phrase that has significant personal meaning: "My first date with my future spouse was at Memorial Union." (I just made this up, it's not true, but if it were, it would be memorable. Choose your own phrase.)
See how I got the password? I took the first letter of each word, then the entire word "Memorial" but substituted a "3" for the "e", a zero for the "o", and an "@" for the "a". The resulting password has lots of complexity- it includes capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. And after a while, your fingers will just get used to typing it. Remember- you won't have to change it every month.
Related resources:
I am proposing two big changes to the district's password policy. The two big changes are: 1) Passwords will never automatically expire; and 2) Passwords will have to be fifteen characters long and have some complexity. These go hand-in-hand. If the passwords are long and complex, they probably won't be cracked, so they won't ever need to be changed.
Why will they never expire?
Research on IT best practices shows that the more frequently passwords are changed, the simpler they become. We also know that changing a password regularly doesn't necessarily stop bad things from happening- it simply blocks out an intruder who happens to get your password. Also, we know it's annoying when passwords expire.
Why will they have to be fifteen characters long?
Again, IT best practices show that long, complex passwords are more secure. There are many reasons for this, but there are two I'm focusing on.
First, there is a very easy password cracking tool that students use (yes, even Oregon students have used this) which can crack any Windows password with a length of fourteen characters or less. Adding the fifteenth character might not seem like much, but the exponential increase in complexity, combined with the way that Windows hashes passwords makes this a huge difference. The second reason for complex passwords is that if a student happens to see or hear a password, it should be something that's difficult to remember. For example if you write down your password (in your wallet or some other place where people won't see it) and a student catches a glimpse, they could remember "BrianJoeErica1990" more easily than "mfdwmfswam3m0ri@lu"
How can we remember all that gibberish?!?
The secret is that it's not really gibberish. The password above, "mfdwmfswaM3m0ri@lU" only looks like gibberish. In fact, it's based on a phrase that has significant personal meaning: "My first date with my future spouse was at Memorial Union." (I just made this up, it's not true, but if it were, it would be memorable. Choose your own phrase.)
See how I got the password? I took the first letter of each word, then the entire word "Memorial" but substituted a "3" for the "e", a zero for the "o", and an "@" for the "a". The resulting password has lots of complexity- it includes capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. And after a while, your fingers will just get used to typing it. Remember- you won't have to change it every month.
Related resources:
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