Password Information and Guidance
If you have forgotten your password, please visit the self-service password reset page to get back into your account.
Please review the Self-Service Password Reset User Guide for detailed instructions.
To register, review, change or delete your contact details for Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) and Multi Factor Authentication please visit the My Security Info Page. All students are automatically registered for SSPR using the personal email address from e:Vision.
If you are still unable to log on please contact the Service Desk.
How to change your password
If you know your current password and wish to change it follow the below instructions. If you are not sure of your password please see the section above.
Off campus or on your own device
On campus - University Windows PC
- Log on to any university computer
- Press the Ctrl, Alt and Del keys at the same time
- Select Change Password
On campus - University Apple Mac
- Those who primarily use an Apple Mac on campus are advised to change their password on the Mac if possible to ensure the keychain is updated.
- From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
- Click the Users & Groups icon in the System Preferences window.
- Select your user name from the list of users.
- Click Change Password, then follow the onscreen prompts.
- When you change your user account password, be sure to update the Hint field as well, so that the hint makes sense for your new password.
- After changing the password, users must, if the keychain utility prompts to update the keychain, click “Update” or “Update All”
Advice on password choice and storage
Choosing a Strong Password
The current recommendation from the UK Government's Cyber Aware campaign is to use three random words. These can be any three words in any order, and numbers or special characters can still be used, for example 7blueElevat0rRis!ng33, but don't use words or phrases which are easy for other people to guess e.g. TheLionKing.
- Passwords should be at least 8 characters in length
- Use a mixture of uppercase (A-Z), lowercase (a-z), numbers (0-9) and special characters (@ # ? < > ! £ $ % + -)
- Avoid commonly used words or personal details e.g. your name, house/street name, phone number, family members' names, pets' names, place of birth, favourite sports team, etc., as these are often publicly available on social media
- Do not use single words found in a dictionary, even if these are spelled backwards or in another language
- Avoid using single words preceded or followed by a number (e.g. friday13, 37corvette)
- Do not use passwords which contain three or more repeating characters (e.g. purple777)
- Avoid using common keyboard patterns (e.g. qwertyuiop, 2wsx3edc4rfv)
A secure password is especially important for your primary e-mail account, as the password reset feature other systems use will often send new passwords or password reset links to this account.
Important Password Information
- NEVER share your passwords with anyone
- Do not reuse passwords – Always use a unique password for each important account you have
- Do not write passwords down, send them in e-mails or text messages, or leave them unsecured anywhere (such as sticky notes stuck to monitors or underneath keyboards)
- Do not use 'autocomplete' or 'Remember me' for passwords in your Web browser, as someone else could log in to your account if they have access to your device
- Do not use your University password for any personal accounts such as social media apps, online banking, ecommerce accounts, or personal e-mail accounts such as Outlook or Gmail
University Password Policy
Password Manager Apps
It can be difficult to remember a lot of complex passwords for many different systems. Fortunately, there are apps called 'password managers' which can securely store a variety of passwords for you and even generate strong passwords for your online accounts.
There is a variety of password manager apps available to download from online app stores; however, free options we recommend for students are Bitwarden, and ProtonPass.
Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication (MFA/2FA) is an extra level of security designed to ensure that you're the only person who can access your account, even if someone else happens to know your password. Multi-factor authentication uses a combination of something you know (your password) and something you hold (a generated code) or something you are (such as your fingerprint) to confirm your identity.
Many online banking applications, ecommerce sites and e-mail providers support multi-factor authentication using a numeric code sent in a text message to your phone, which can only be used once. This means someone would need to have access to your phone as well as knowing your password to access your online account.
MFA registration is mandatory for all University of Staffordshire students and must be set up within 14 days of starting your studies.
There are several methods for multi-factor authentication including:
- Receiving a text message
- Receiving an automated phone call
- Using an authentication app on your smartphone, such as Google Authenticator or Twilio Authy
- Using a hardware token, such as Duo or YubiKey
- Using biometric scanning, such as fingerprint (Touch ID) or facial recognition (Face ID, Windows Hello)
We recommend you enable multi-factor authentication for your most important accounts to protect your sensitive personal information.
I think my University account has been compromised, what should I do?
Always change your password immediately if you suspect that your University account or password has been compromised and report this to the IT Service Desk by phoning 01785 353800 or via Solve.