How to Change Campus Computer Passwords

OIT Help Desk

How to Change Your Passwords

The University requires all computer system passwords to be a minimum of 8 characters in length, expire no more than every 90 days, and contain at least 1 numeric character and 1 special character (a special character is defined as any character not alphabetic or numeric, including a space). Additionally, you cannot use any password you've previously used within the last 365 days.

Please see our advice for creating passwords that meet these requirements.

The majority of systems on campus are governed by either the Novell password group or the Active Directory password group. If you reset your password for one of the systems within the group, your password will change for the entire group.

The Novell Password Group	The Active Directory Password Group
Novell Login GroupWise BroncoWeb BroncoMail Blackboard PeopleSoft Finance VPN	Windows (BoiseState Domain) Campus Websites Survey Pro Terminal Services Some Departmental Applications COEN & COAT Users: click here to reset your east.boisestate.edu domain password
To reset the password for these systems, go to the BroncoWeb home page: If you know your password, log into BroncoWeb and reset it by clicking on the "Change your Password" link. If you don't know your password, click the "Set My New Password / I Forgot My Password" link.	To reset the password for these systems, go to our Active Directory password change page. If you don't know your current Active Directory password, please contact the Help Desk by phone at 426-4357.

For detailed information regarding other methods of resetting your passwords, including resetting your Novell password to match your local Windows workstation password or Active Directory password on your University computer, please read "How to Change or Reset University Passwords." For information on changing your PeopleSoft Back Office account, please read "How do I change me Back Office HRLS Password?"

Password Advice

Resetting your password in accordance with University rules (spelled out at the top of this page) may be difficult to get used to; the days of setting a password to match the name of spouse, a child's birthdate, or your telephone number are over. Automated software used by hackers has made it too easy to guess these types of passwords. You may need to start thinking "outside the box" and develop a new mindset when choosing passwords. Techniques we recommend:

1. Replace letters with special characters. $ makes a great substitue for s. @ can replace a. A zero can take the place of an o. Think of a 3 as a backwards e. Note that replacing letters with special characters doesn't automatically create a strong password; you must combine this technique with numeric characters and other special characters to create a strong password.

2. Use passphrases instead of passwords. Instead of thinking of a single word for your password, use a phrase consisting of many words. Let's say your favorite song is Stairway to Heaven. Replace the vowels with special characters, and substitute a 2 for "to," put an exclamation mark at the end to shout out your love for Led Zeppelin, and you end up with the following passphrase that's not only memorable but meets all the rules:

st@!rw@y2h3@v3n!

3. You can also abbreviate words to create even stronger passphrases. E.g, take the phrase "Stairway to Heaven is my favorite song!" Incorporate the rules above and you may end up with:

Stwy2Hvn!$myf@vs0ng!

If you have difficulty changing any passwords, please contact the Help Desk at 426-4357. Passwords can only be changed over the phone or in person; for security reasons, requests via e-mail or Help Desk Self Service to reset passwords will not be honored.

Please note you will be asked for information to confirm your identity before your password can be changed.