Changing Your Password
To change your CS account password:
- Login into moons.cs.unm.edu or shuttle.cs.unm.edu.
- At the command prompt, enter: passwd. This command will allow you to change your account in LDAP.
- Do not use even part of your name, login, or obvious things like "CS or "UNM".
- Do not use your birthday, social security number, driver's license number, etc.
- Do not re-use passwords from other systems.
- Do not use a password contained in any dictionary: this includes foreign and made-up languages like Klingon or Elvish.
- Do not include team names, jersey numbers, favorite sport, TV shows/characters, movies or celebrities, keyboard patterns like "qwerty" or "1q2w3e", any name, including given names like "Jennifer" and geographical names like "Chicago".
- Do start with a phrase you will not forget, and use the initial letters as a start. If the phrase is long enough, this may be good enough.
- Do use random password generators, with the caveat you must use them on a machine you trust, where no one can read over your shoulder.
- Do include variations such as Upper caSe letters mixed in, Symbols (%@*) and adding or substituting numbers.
- That being said, try to avoid obvious changes, and certainly don't rely on them: "(0mput3r" is not a strong password: automatic password checking tools try these obvious solutions as well as normal dictionary words. Some common substitutions:
- "$" or "5" for the letter "S"
- 0 (zero) for the letter "O,"
- "1" for the letter "L."
- '+' for the letter 'T'.
- "(" for the letter "C"
- "@" for the letter "a"
- "3" for the letter "e"
- "#" for the letter "h"
Be sure to pick a good password. SSG periodically runs password checking tools: if your password is guessed, your account will be locked.
