Choosing a good UW NetID and password

You will be using your UW NetID and password on a regular basis and for a number of computing tasks and services. For this reason, it is wise to take time and thoughtfully select the name you want to use for your UW NetID. Your UW NetID becomes part of your UW email address (your_uwnetid@u.washington.edu) so think about what you want to use to identify who you are.

UW NetID

Keep the following points in mind when you create your UW NetID:

• UW NetIDs can be 1-8 characters long.
• Use only lowercase letters and numbers for your UW NetID. The first character must be a lowercase letter.
• Choose a UW NetID that reflects the way you want to be perceived by other computer users you communicate with, including your instructors, peers, and co-workers. A clever UW NetID may cause others not to take you seriously, and once you choose a UW NetID, you have it for a lifetime.
• You may wish to choose a gender-neutral UW NetID to avoid possible harassing email.
• A common method of selecting a UW NetID (login name) is to use initials and all or part of your last name. With over a hundred thousand UW NetIDs already activated, you may not get your first choice, but the online system will help you select one.
• If you choose to use just your first name, and it is a common one, you could receive email meant for other people.

Password

Unfortunately, computer hackers have developed methods for cracking simple passwords. For this reason, the new password you enter is checked. If it is not complex enough, you are asked to think of another one. It is also highly recommended that you change your password on a frequent basis. You may receive an email reminder from UW Technology if you have not changed your password in the last three months.

Your password must:

• Contain between 8 and 30 characters.
• Not appear in any dictionary.
• Contain both lowercase and uppercase alphabetic characters.
• Should contain non-alphanumeric characters such as !, @, #, $, %, ^, &, *, (, ), etc.

A password is NOT ACCEPTED if it:

• Has fewer than eight characters.
• Is composed entirely of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, or numbers.
• Matches anything in your UW NetID account information, such as your login name or an item from your "finger" data entry.
• Is found in the hackers' dictionary of common passwords.
  
• Was used as a password for your UW NetID in the recent past.
• Fails any of these tests when reversed, pluralized, or truncated.

So how do you come up with an acceptable password that you can remember? Here are some practical pointers:

• If you enter a single question mark, ? as your new password, the password system will suggest a suitable password that you may want to use.
• Multiple word passwords -- Try joining several words together with punctuation marks and numbers, and some characters in upper case. (YoU&mE!, p0P*bAnG)
• Pet names and other corny nicknames -- Often we name things with off-the-wall, non-dictionary words. Throw in symbols and numbers, and vary the case. (aRfy=d0G, PhId0-k9, b0Pse&am)
• Acronyms of quotations important to you -- "Neither a borrow nor a lender be" becomes NaBnaLb!.
• The first characters of the middle names of the members of your family, in order by age, with pets represented by &s and *s. (T&sRkcBB*)

Why the Hassle?

Hackers have gained access to accounts on many university computers. A person with unauthorized access to your account can send email in your name, browse the Web, corrupt your files, delete or modify important information, or eat up your resources. In addition, hackers often run programs that put a heavy burden on the university's computing network, degrading service for all users.

Your best defense is a good, difficult-to-crack password.

To get help or make comments about the information on this page, use the Send a Question to UW Technology Web site.