Protect your password

Each person at the UW has his or her own UW NetID and password. It is against policy to share yours with someone else.

• Do not give your UW NetID and password to anyone else, even if they are a close friend or member of your family.
• Do not let others use your account, even if you log them in.

It is also important that you do not share your UW NetID or password inadvertently:

• Do not send passwords in email, even when using "secure" email programs. Many such programs only encrypt the password used in making the connection, sending the bulk of the message as clear-text.
• Do not write your UW NetID and password in a place where others could find it.
• Be sure no one is watching when you enter your UW NetID and password.
• If you enter your UW NetID and password into a Web site, be sure you exit all open Web browsers when you are finished.
• Don't walk away from a computer (for instance in a computer lab or library) until you are certain that you have logged off.
• Use a password protected screen saver if you must leave your computer logged on while away from the computer.

It is easy to change your UW NetID password. You should change it regularly. That way, if someone knows your old password, it will no longer work. A good rule of thumb is to change your password once a month.

Computer hackers have developed methods for cracking simple passwords. Choose a complex password to reduce the likelihood of your password being guessed or cracked. Read more about choosing a good UWNetID and password.

Avoid saving your UW NetID password in telnet, ftp, Web, and email programs. The problem with saving the password is that it will be written into a file on your hard disk. Intruders may find and retrieve this password file, giving them full access to read, write, or destroy your files.

Using an insecure email, browser, or file transfer program exposes your UW NetID password by sending it in plain text over the network. It is easy for hackers to listen in on a network and grab plain text passwords for their own use -- which may include destroying your files. Secure programs prevent this by using encryption to scramble transmissions between your computer and the remote computer.

Secure software, already configured for use at the UW, is available in the UW Internet Connectivity Kit, which can be purchased at the UW Bookstore. Much of the software in the UWICK can also be downloaded free from the UWICK page of the Software Guide.