For more detailed information about passwords you can visit the EIU Passwords web page.

How do I choose a good password?
How do I change/reset my password for e-mail, WebCT or web?
What should I do if I have forgotten my e-mail password?
I have changed my password, but I still can't get in.
What do I do if I think my account is being used without my permission?

How do I choose a good password?

Creating a good password can be a difficult task.  Passwords should be easy to remember but hard to guess.  If you must write down your password, remember to keep it as secure as your credit card number.  Here's some advice on how to make and remember a good password:

• Do not use personal information such as your name, your spouse's names, your street address or your pet's name.

• Do not use common words associated with your place or type of employment.  For example, cashier would not be a good password for those who work in a cashier's office, nor would room32 be a good password for somebody who works in Room 32.

• Substituting numbers for letters is a good way to make passwords.  For example, let P = 4, O = 6, R = 20, then reddog would be 20edd6g.

• The passwords must be six to eight characters that make no sense at all and contain at least one numeral, punctuation mark or special character, such as an exclamation point (!) or a dollar sign ($).  An easy way to remember these nonsensical passwords is to create acronyms from phrases that are easy for you to remember. For example:

How do I change/reset my e-mail password for...?

Student e-mail / personal Website	Faculty or staff e-mail / personal Website
Student WebCT account	Group or department e-mail / personal Website

What should I do if I have forgotten my e-mail password?

You may have your password reset by going to the Help Desk at Gregg Triad Computer Lab. Please have your Panther card with you.

I have changed my password, but I still can't get in.

Check that one of the following is not causing you trouble...

• There is no synchronization between WebCT and the new P-Synch system. Changing your password through WebCT is independent of the e-mail password change.
• Check you Caps Lock key. Passwords can be case sensitive and this can cause trouble.
• If you want to copy and paste your password, please make sure that you are not copying extra spaces.

If you are still having trouble, call us at 581-HELP.

What do I do if I think my account is being used without my permission?

If you suspect that someone has guessed your password and accessed your account, change your password immediately. One way to tell if someone has been in your account is by keeping track of the last time you logged on. The date and time of your last log-in will always appear when you log on. Remember to follow the guidelines for creating a good password.

If you suspect that there is a security breach or flaw in the university system, please notify the ITS HelpDesk at (217) 581-HELP immediately.

Remember, Illinois criminal law prohibits computer tampering and computer fraud. For more information, see our Computer Use Policy.

Harassment Issues

Do not use university computing facilities to harass anyone. This includes the use of insulting, obscene or suggestive electronic mail or news, tampering with others' files, and invasive access to others' equipment. E-mail harassment violates ethical usage of your computer account and may result in university disciplinary action or criminal charges.

Mass Mailings and Junk E-Mail

Never send uninvited e-mail to large numbers of strangers (known as 'spam'). In particular, do not send commercial advertisements, surveys, chain mail, or questionnaires to anyone who has not given you their permission to do so. Junk e-mail wastes both system resources and the time of those who receive it, and recipients may contact your system administrator with complaints.

Fraud and Misrepresentation

Dishonest users sometimes attempt to forge e-mail messages to gain personal information such as account passwords or even credit card information. Do not ever divulge such personal data in a reply, even if the sender looks "official." Also, never send any form of electronic communication that bears a fraudulent origin or identification. This includes the forging of another's identity on electronic mail, news postings or Web pages.