Unity Password

* * * * Need your password or Unity ID? Contact the NC State Help Desk during business hours. * * * *

Each person affiliated with NC State University is assigned a Unity account, along with a Unity ID and password. These are distributed to new students at new student orientation and to new faculty and staff when they are hired. You can also find out your default password by contacting the NC State Help Desk at 515-HELP(4357).

NOTE: You must change your default Unity Password before using the MyPack Portal.

What can I do with my Unity password?

Using your password together with your Unity ID, you can:

• Manage your campus-based email.
• Access any workstation in a Unity or Eos lab.
• Manage files in your personal AFS file space.
• Access certain NC State Web pages that are not available to the public.
• Access the MyPack portal.
• Register for classes, review your class schedules and waitlist status, view your transcript and make address changes.
• Read articles on electronic reserve through Library Services (http://www.lib.ncsu.edu).
• Turn in homework electronically using tools such as WebAssign.

What is my initial (default) Unity password?

Your initial (default) password is the 8-digit number composed of:

• the last four digits of your Campus ID number (follows the letters "NCSU" on your All Campus Card) plus
• the four digits of your birth month and day

For example, if your Campus ID number ends in 1234 and your birthday is January 31, then your initial password is 12340131. If it becomes necessary to reset your password, it will be reset to your default.

NOTE: You cannot use your default password to access the MyPack portal.

What should I do as soon as I get my initial (default) password?

Your default password is for temporary use only. Anyone who knows your Campus ID number and your birthdate can figure out your default. As soon as you get your initial password, follow these two steps:

1. Go to https://sysnews.ncsu.edu/passwd/ and create a new, more secure password, one that only you know.
2. Then go to http://www.acs.ncsu.edu/uia/ and create three questions and answers that will identify you to Help Desk consultants. Later, if you need to ask questions about your account or have your password reset to the default, you can call the Help Desk and answer the questions rather than appear in person.

Whenever you feel that someone may have seen you type your password or that it has been compromised in some other way, be sure to create a new one immediately.

NOTE: Beginning September 10, 2007, you will need to change your password at least once a year. Consequently, the first time you visit the MyPack portal after this date, it will probably tell you that your password has expired. Even though your password may still work (at least for a while) on certain other campus systems, such as Webmail, go ahead and change it. Otherwise, you won't be able to use the MyPack portal, which you'll need in order to to register for classes, review your class schedules and waitlist status, view your transcript, or change your address.

What should I do when my password is reset?

Immediately after your password is reset to your default, so go to https://sysnews.ncsu.edu/passwd/ and create a new, secure one.

What are the requirements for a new password?

It may consist of any combination of the letters A through Z, the numerals 0 through 9 and the standard punctuation characters. Both upper case and lower case may be used. Your password is case-sensitive, so you will need to type it exactly as you created it. Keep the following requirements and recommendations in mind when you create a new one:

Requirements. Your new password must:

• contain at least 8 but not more than 127 characters (new requirement)
• contain at least one digit (numeral)
• contain at least one letter
• not contain your Unity ID (spelled either forward or backward)
• not contain a string of 5 consecutive digits (new requirement)
• not contain a word found in a dictionary
• not be a simple case change of your old password (replacing uppercase letters with lowercase and vice versa)
• not be a reuse of an earlier password (older than your current one)

Recommendations: To strengthen the security of your new password, we recommend that it:

• contain at least one capital letter
• contain at least one lowercase letter
• contain at least one special character (not a letter or numeral)
• not contain anything that people might associate with you, such as your name, your name backwards, your initials, friend's name, pet's name, birthdays or anniversaries.
• be easy for you to remember so that you won't be tempted to write it down

You can use a “word” as your password, provided that you modify it to meet the requirements. For example, you could change mydoggie to m1D0gg1e. You cannot use this specific example as your password.

Tip: An acronym based on your little-known personal information makes a short password that’s easy for you to remember but hard for anyone else to guess. For example, the sentence “I lived in Anchorage, Alaska, for 5 years.” could produce the password “IliA,A,f5y.” Note the inclusion of a numeral and commas plus capital and lowercase letters.

How do I replace my current password with a new one?

You can change your Unity password online by filling out and submitting the form found at https://sysnews.ncsu.edu/passwd/.

What precautions should I take with my password?

• Never write your password down anywhere.
• Never let anyone watch you type it on a computer. If someone tries to watch, ask them to look away. Making this request is perfectly acceptable and is part of your responsibility to protect your password.
• Improve your typing speed so that it will be harder for someone to see your keystrokes.
• Never tell anyone what it is. It is a policy violation to let anyone else use your account.
• Change it at least once a year, whenever it is reset to your default or whenever someone may have seen you type it.
• See Safe Computing at NC State for more information.

When will my new password take effect?

It may take up to 15 minutes after you change your password for the new one to take effect. If you log in and your new password does not work, try the old one. Being logged in under the old password will not keep the new one from becoming active.

What if I don't change my password?

You are required to change your password as least once a year in order to be able to use the MyPack portal, which you will need for class registration and other important functions. If you don't change your password, it may still work (at least for a while) on other campus systems such as Webmail. However, if you continually use the same password (including your default) or fail to keep it secret, someone else could gain access to your account, erase all your work, use all your print quota or send mail to thousands of people with your name and email address attached to it. It is your responsibility to keep your password secure and change it frequently.

What if I forget my password or have some other problem with it?

Contact a consultant at the NC State Help Desk in one of the two following ways. The consultant won't be able to look up your current password but can reset it to your default.

• If you have created a series of personal security questions and answers for yourself beforehand, then you can simply call the Help Desk and answer those questions to have your password reset. For details about these questions and answers, see the link labeled "Set up remote identification for password resets (UIA)" on the Unity Password Change Tool page.
• If you haven't created this set of questions and answers or don't remember any of the answers, you will need to visit the Help Desk in person during regular business hours and bring a picture ID.

Content last updated April 11, 2007, by Jeff Webster
Page last modified March 17, 2008 , by cawalker