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  january 16, 2007
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campus newS

Security strengthening requires password changes; all of campus will be affected
By Matt Weeks
mweeks@uga.edu
Time to change those passwords, y’all.

Stan Gatewood
As part of a heightened security program, those who use certain UGA Web sites, such as UGAMail and WebCT, are required to change their passwords by Feb. 1. After that, passwords must be changed every six months.

New passwords must be “strong,” meaning they must consist of eight characters, include special characters (!, #, >, ?, etc.) and cannot use words found in a dictionary, said Stan Gatewood, UGA’s chief information security officer.

“Passwords are the first line of defense for users and systems,” he said. “Passwords should be something easy to remember, but hard to guess.”

Along with stronger passwords, MyID users also will be required to select answers to secret questions that can be used to provide additional verification of a user’s identity.

Those who do not update their MyID information will not be able to access their information starting Feb. 1. To start the process, visit http://myid.uga.edu. The Web site includes step-by-step instructions as well as a list of special characters.

Barbara White
“The strong password requirements and the requirement to change passwords are supported by a new University of Georgia password policy,” said Barbara A. White, UGA’s chief information officer and associate provost. “The university’s administration is committed to information security, and protecting our information assets. The ratification of this policy by University Cabinet is testimony to that commitment.”

As the university steers toward more secure Internet-based applications, new programs will become available to streamline clunky processes. One such application is electronic payroll advisements (e-stub). These are currently delivered through e-mail, but will be accessible on the Web starting in February. To make delivery of this information more secure, users will be required to use both their MyID and secret question/answer pairs to access the e-stub Web site.

“The university community has a responsibility to be diligent in protecting its online data, and that protection begins with the use of strong passwords and active protection of passwords by users,” said Holley Schramski, associate vice president and controller.
 


Columns is produced by the UGA News Service, a unit of UGA Public Affairs.
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Matthew Weeks (mweeks@uga.edu): senior reporter (706) 542-8024, Sara Freeland (freeland@uga.edu): reporter (706) 542-8077
Questions or comments should be directed to columns@uga.edu

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