Security
Why should I care about Security?
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There are two main reasons. First, if someone else gains access to your account they can delete all of your files, read your mail, look at all of your class assignments, etc. You probably don't want someone to do this. Second, if someone else uses your account to do bad things, you are responsible for any damage that they do. |
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What sort of precautions should I take to make sure that my account is secure?
A few simple things to remember:
* Choose a good password.
* Keep your password a secret.
* Don't let other people use your account.
* ALWAYS log out of your account when you leave.
If you take the time to follow these steps, your account will be well secured against unauthorized use.
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How do I change my password?
Using a Unix server: SSH into gauss.engr.ucr.edu. You can then change your password by typing "kpasswd" at your UNIX prompt. It will ask you for your old password once, followed by your new password twice.
Using a Windows Machine: Log into a Windows machine. Once logged in, press the CTRL, ALT, and DEL keys all the same time. Click on "Change Password" and follow the instructions.
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How do I choose a good password?
It is very important that you choose a password that is difficult for another user to guess. As a security precaution, we often run a password guessing program to check for easily guessed passwords. If your password is "cracked", your account will be disabled until you can meet with us.
Some password choosing DOs and DON'Ts:
* DON'T use words out of any dictionary.
* DON'T use names or personal references.
* DON'T write your password down. (Someone might find it.)
* DON'T recycle old passwords.
* DO use a combination of letters, numbers, and punctuation.
* DO use 6 to 8 characters, with at least one non-letter.
* DO use something that you'll be able to remember.
A good trick for making secure passwords that are still easy to remember is to think of a sentence and then use the first letter of each word in that sentence. Throw in a punctuation character or a case-change, and your password will be virtually unbreakable. For example, the sentence "Milk, it does a body good." would transform into the password "M,idabg."
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I can't login to my account, what's going on?
Your account may be disabled by us for the following:
* We "cracked" your password.
* You were doing bad things with your account.
* You are no longer eligible for your account.
In any case, come by A344 or A308 and talk to us in person if you want to resolve this.