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University Password Practices

Table of Contents

Together with your Ohio State Username (lastname.#), your password acts as a key to many online tools and services offered by the university. When you log in (sign in), your Ohio State Username identifies you, and your password authenticates you as the owner of that ID.

The Ohio State University takes many steps to keep hackers out of your personal files and information; however, poor password practices decrease our effectiveness and increase our information security risk. Password best practices are simple steps you can take to better protect your personal files and the university's systems.

Vision

Ohio State's vision is to create a single location for password change and synchronization across multiple university systems, while ensuring the personal security of community members and protecting the university's valuable academic, research, and business resources. Also, for the university to foster trusted relationships with peer institutions, federal resources and businesses, we must be able to assure our passwords meet certain security standards, such as the eAuthentication Initiative (EAI) and InCommon.

Your Password's Days are Numbered

Change your password at my.osu.edu

Elements of a Strong Password

  • Length Matters: The longer your password, the harder it is to crack. Use a minimum of eight (8) characters.
  • Mix it Up: Include upper and lowercase letters, punctuation, and numbers. Select a letter to capitalize at random; try to avoid the first letter.
  • Avoid Dictionary Words or Proper Names: These are easy to guess. If you are going to spell-out a word or phrase, remove letters, replace them with numbers, or deliberately misspell the word or phrase. For example, "I Hate Peas" can become "eyeH8pEEz".
  • Avoid Personal Information: This includes birthdates, names of family members or pets, and address information. Try an acronym instead. Example: "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" becomes "yctaodnt".

2011 Password Change