CHANGING YOUR PEGASUS PASSWORD

Your password on the system is one of the most important tools for safeguarding your account. UCF takes system security very seriously. You as a general user can help maintain a secure system by changing your password on a regular basis and using a password that cannot be easily guessed by others. All passwords will expire every two months with a warning message displayed one week in advance. At that time you will be prompted for a new password. You will also be prompted for a new password the first time you begin using your account.

To change your password before it expires, use the following command:

pegasus% passwd

The system will ask you for your current password. The system will then ask you for your new password and then ask you to type it again to verify it. Be careful as you will not be able to see what you are typing.

CHOOSING A GOOD PASSWORD

Here are the requirements and some hints on choosing a password that others cannot easily guess:

You must choose a password at least 6 characters in length and no more than 8 characters in length. The password must include at least two letters and at least one number or special character ($, %, etc.). Do not use any spaces in your password. The system is case sensitive; lower and upper case letters are treated differently.

Choose a password that only you know, and is easy for you to remember.

One good idea is to insert one or more numbers into your password. For example:

Iam2Cool

Another good idea is a password formed from a favorite phrase, saying, or song lyric:

1. Select a phrase at least 6 words in length and no more than 8 words in length. For example:

Reach for the stars, UCF!

2. Select the first letter of each word to make up the password. Using the above example, the password would be:

r4tsucf

To someone else, this looks like a meaningless jumble of letters, but to you it makes perfect sense.

PASSWORDS NOT TO CHOOSE

These are passwords that can easily be guessed by other people, especially hackers:

Do not use an old password.

Do not use your name, telephone number, age, or birth date.

Do not use your account userid as your password.

Do not use the name of famous people such as inventors, musical composers or groups, or historical figures.

Do not use common scientific, academic, musical, or business terms.

Do not use any brand names or names of products, cars, computers, software, or any other common object.

Do not use the names of days (Monday, Tuesday, etc.), months, holidays, or years.

The above list is not exhaustive. The important thing to remember is to choose a password that only you will know and that no one else can guess.

SAFEGUARDING YOUR PASSWORD AND YOUR ACCOUNT

Here are some tips for insuring that no one gets illegal access to the system:

Memorize your password; do not write it down.

Do not give your password to anyone or include your password in a mail message.

Do not leave your terminal unattended.

If you suspect someone is illegally tampering with the system, contact your supervisor or the E-Mail and Internet Help Desk (823-6207).

RESOLVING PASSWORD PROBLEMS

If you can't logon to your account with your current or default password, then check these steps for the procedure to get our password reset to it's original value:

A) Student LAN/Pegasus/Olympus accounts can be reset from several sites (proper identification will be required (UCF ID or Drivers License):

1) Computer Service Public Labs - (CC II, Education, COB, Library)

The student assistant on duty can reset student computer accounts with proper identification.

2) Computer Services Help Desk - (CC I 109: (407) 823-5117))

The Help Desk staff can reset student computer accounts with proper identification.

3) UCF - Brevard Campus

Computer Services has contact people at UCF-Brevard who can reset Pegasus accounts with proper identification.

Please contact the following people at their office during normal work hours:

Sue Halfhill

Sue Striby

4) UCF - Daytona Beach Campus

Computer Services has contact people at UCF-Daytona Beach who can reset Pegasus accounts with proper identification.

Please contact the following people at their office during normal work hours:

Main #	(904)255-7423
David Fleisher	4043
David Pohl	4047
Monica Murphy-Dew	4073
Peggy Ferrante	4011

5) Computer Services Computer Accounts Office (CC II 102: (407) 823-2768))

The staff member can reset student computer accounts with proper identification during normal office hours.

B) Faculty/Staff Pegasus accounts can be reset from any of the locations listed in section A. Faculty/Staff can also call the Computer Services Help Desk to have the computer account reset (407) 823-5117.