Passwords and Accounts

Changing Your Password

A single username and password are used for most services:

Email
Wireless network access
Printing
Novell Netware (Hector, Helen, Achilles, etc.)
Blackboard course management system
OIT software download page
Williams Wiki restricted pages
Go/myaccount Self Service
Remote Access To Library Databases (the proxy server)
Many WSO services
Unix

To change your password, go to http://oit.williams.edu and click the change my password link.

Note: this does not change your Meeting Maker, PeopleSoft, local windows account, or local OSX account passwords. OIT recommends that you use different passwords for these accounts.

Changing Your Local Account Password

All computers have a local account that is independent of your Williams account. Also the password may be different than your network password (it is different unless you synced them). This local account password is needed to get in to your Windows computer and to install software on your Mac computer.

For XP:
If you have the Novell Netware client installed (the red login window) you can have it match your network password by checking the "Change your Windows password to match your Netware password after a successful login" box. Once your passwords are synched you will not see the Windows Workstation login again UNTIL YOU CHANGE YOUR NETWORK PASSWORD (every six months).

If you don't have Novell install, from the START menu, select the control panel. Choose "user accounts." Select your local account.
Select "change my password."
Note: If you change your Windows workstation password to your Netware password, then it will login to the Windows account automatically after the Netware log in.

For Vista:
Press CTRL+ALT+DEL, then select "Change a password" from the options.

For OSX:
Under the Apple menu, select "system preferences" and choose "accounts." Select and account and choose "edit." Change the password.

Choosing a Password

It's important that no one knows or can guess your password. You might not have any important information that you need to protect, but if a hacker gets your password, s/he can initiate an attack on the Williams servers and network. Access to our servers is the first step in a hacker's ability to steal information and start a denial of service attack, which has occurred at Williams. Denial of service attacks can bring down our entire network. So remember that your password protects more than just your own data.

There are many available password-cracking programs. Words in the dictionary and/or standard combinations like "catdog" can be discovered in minutes. Also refrain from using your user name, family names, pet names, birthdates, etc. Do not use the same password for Williams accounts that you use at home or personal use. Passwords used for online registrations, purchases, downloads, etc. are too "public" to assume that they are secure for the Williams network. Mix in at least 1 number and 1 special character (;:!(@*][+=, etc). Example: "1cat=fur". We require at least one numeral in the password.

Make sure whatever you choose can be easily remembered.