Password Best Practices and Standards
Protect Your Password
Your username and password are your key to accessing a wide range of resources. For faculty and staff, these resources include sensitive information such as pay statements, benefits open enrollment, and retirement account details. In addition, your account has access to other data that is regulated by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Gramm-Leach-Bliley (GLB) Act. You should never share your password with anyone, for any reason. By protecting your password, you also protect the important resources and data to which your password grants you access.
Keep in mind these important password tips:
- Create a strong password that combines a minimum of 12 letters, numbers, and special characters – in general, the longer the better!
- Be sure to log out when you have finished using any website or resources that requires you to log in with your password. It is also recommended that you close all browser windows and completely exit your web browser.
- Change your password regularly. Currently, students, faculty, and staff are required to change their account password at least every 180 days.
- No one from any reputable organization, including the Northeast, will ever ask you to divulge your password over the phone or in an email. If you are asked for your password in an email or over the phone, this is usually a sure sign of a phishing scam.