Changing Passphrases/Passwords (and choosing good Passphrases/Passwords)

This Document Pertains to Your ENET (AEM/ME) Unix Passphrase/Password

• NOT your UofM_Internet/AD Passphrase/Password (my-account.umn.edu) (A.K.A. Your University of Minnesota E-mail, Internet and Active Directory Passphrase/Password)


• NOT your CSE-LABS Passphrase/Password (www.cselabs.umn.edu/accounts) (MechE 308 is CSE LABS, not us)

Important Passphrase/Password Guidlines

• Choose a good Passphrase/Password. ANY Passphrase/Password derived from ANY dictionary word (or personal information), modified in ANY way, is a potentially guessable Passphrase/Password.


• Sharing of accounts is forbidden. If others need access to your files or the Enet systems, we (Enet) can create a separate account for them.


• Never give nor email any Passphrase/Password to ANYONE nor ANY SERVICE.
  This includes:
  
  • The Enet Staff should NEVER need to know your Passphrases/Passwords to fix problems with your account. We have administration privileges already.
    
  • Google should NEVER store your Passphrases/Passwords (you can forward your mail to them).
  • Your Supervisor and Co-Workers should NEVER know your Passphrases/Passwords, they should be able to get at things with their own Passphrase/Password.
  • Your Friends and Family should NEVER know your Passphrase/Password.


• If you must write a Passphrase/Password down (we suggest you don't), keep it safe as you would your credit card (keep it with you at all times so no one else can find it).


• NEVER send any Passphrase/Password via e-mail (nor instant messaging). E-mail is NEVER secure (it can be intercepted, and can end up with the wrong person).


• NEVER leave any Passphrase/Password on anything near a computer (not even in a file in your home directory).


• Cell Phones, Tablets, and Laptops are Not secure enough to save passwords on them.


• It is a good idea to change your Passphrases/Passwords periodically (about once a year) - especially if you think someone else may know it.


• Use different Passphrases/Passwords for accounts on different systems
  

IMPORTANT INFORMATION About Your Enet Unix Passphrase/Password:

• After an Enet account is made - you have 5 days to change the initial Enet Unix Passphrase/Password before your ENET Passphrase/Password automatically expires itself.
  If you allow it to expire, you won't be able to use nor change it (contact Enet for an extension).
  NOTE: if you Enet Passphrase/Password is expired, your account will still be active (and you will still have access to Windows services).


• If your ENET Unix account is disabled or deleted - You will NOT have access to Any ENET RESOURCES.
  Your Enet Unix account must be in good standing for access to ENET Windows resources to work (even though they use your AD Passphrase/Password).
  Note - an expired Enet Passphrase/Password does not block access to Windows resources (your account is still in good standing).


• Your University of Minnesota Active Directory (AD) Passphrase/Password is used to connect to Windows resources (Enet Home Directories and Enet Printing), and to log on to All AD.umn.edu attached Windows Machines (including those managed by Enet).
  Your Internet/AD Passphrase/Password is changed here: my-account.umn.edu (note: your AD Passphrase/Password is automatically set the same as your Internet Passphrase/Password).


• Your Enet Unix Passphrase/Password is only used to log on to:
  • Linux/Unix Machines that are FULLY managed by Enet (like the SSH Gateways).
    You can now use your UofM AD password ( + DUO ) to log into the SSH gateways.
    And all our other Linux client machines (except the clusters) accept AD passwords as well.
    (Even if your ENET password is expired, or NOT set).
  • The ACDB (if you are an ACDB user, students use internet passwords).
  • And the Enet mail server, if you have an email account with us (most people don't).

Please Note Some Passphrase/Password Maximum Length Limitations:

• You MUST use a Passphrase/Password of at least 8 characters


• Enet Unix Passphrase/Password: 30 characters max for full compatibility with the following:
  • Linux/unix Console X Login: 30 characters max (Login on a Graphical Linux console)
  • Linux/unix Terminal Login: 100 characters max (Login on a text only Linux console)
  • ssh: 100 characters max (Login to a Linux machine via ssh - or use scp/sftp)

Changing Your ENET (Unix) Passphrase/Password - Web Method:

• Go to the ENET Passphrase/Password Change form: https://www.aem.umn.edu/cgi-bin/passwd/passwd.pl
  
  
• Log in to the form with Your University Username and Passphrase/Password (redirects to shib login).
  
  
• Fill in the boxes and select Submit.
  
  
• WAIT (about 15 seconds) - the page will inform you if the Passphrase/Password was changed or not.
  NOTE: any error probably means you failed to use a good Passphrase/Password,
  you may want to use the next method for clearer error messages.
  
  
• NOTE: it may take up to 15 minutes for your new password to start working.

Changing Your ENET (Unix) Passphrase/Password - SSH Method:

• Log on to an Enet SSH Gateway Machine
  
  
  
• Use the following command to change your Passphrase/Password):
  

  			
  			yppasswd
  			
  			

• NOTE: it may take up to 15 minutes for your new password to start working.

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