USI IT Advisory: Password change requirement

The USI IT department has been hard at work preparing our campus for the ongoing password change requirement. In higher education, hackers are continuously trying to break into our systems. Cybersecurity is something we are intimately familiar with, but sometimes that’s not enough to stop the threat actor.  That’s where ongoing password change comes in. 

Think about all the breaches that are announced and how sensitive data is stolen. Depending on the breach the threat actor may now have your username and password. If a threat actor can get that information, they are one step closer to accessing your account. By requiring an ongoing password change, an additional layer of security is added, and this can keep the threat actor out. 

Here are some FAQs about the upcoming password change (this information can also be found in our knowledge base located at services.usi.edu):

When will this occur? 

Starting April 16, if you haven’t changed your password in the last year, the system will request that your password be changed. However, you do not need to wait until the 16—if you proactively change your password now, then you will not be asked to change it again for a year. You can change your password now by accessing the password change feature on myUSI.     

What are the password requirements?

The current password requirements are 12 alphanumeric characters and must include upper and lower case, numeric and a special character.    

What if I forget to change my password?

If you do not change your password before April 16, then the next time you log in you will be forced to change your password. If you happen to be on campus that day, the force change will occur with a pop box like the following. If you are off campus, you will need to contact the Help Desk to assist with getting your password changed.