Registration for Central IT Services

4. Introduction to passwords

4.1. Passwords administered by OUCS

OUCS manages the passwords for the services listed below. Please note that each service is administered separately - changing one password will not change the others: See the separate sections below for help with the passwords for OUCS-administered services.

4.1.1. Password guidelines

Your password should be a mixture of different classes of character (lowercase letters a-z, uppercase letters A-Z, digits 0-9, and punctuation marks) and should not resemble a single word; Oxford account passwords must use at least three different character classes. You are recommended not to use the pound-sterling sign or accented characters - these can cause technical problems in some contexts.

Never include a password in an email message, even when contacting OUCS regarding a problem. Doing so puts your account at risk of misuse and we will change your password if you do this, protecting your account but causing you inconvenience and delay.

Passwords should be changed at least once a year and preferably more often. A good guideline is treat your password like your toothbrush - never share it, and change it frequently. It is essential to change your password promptly if you have any reason to think that someone else may know it.

Do not use the same password for different services, whether or not the username is the same.

See the OUCS password policy for advice on changing passwords and for other important recommendations regarding password security.

4.2. Passwords for services external to OUCS

OUCS does not administer the passwords for logging on to your college or departmental computer network and we do not have any access to this information. Contact your local IT Support Staff if you need help or advice regarding logging in to one of these local networks.

OUCS is also unable to help with passwords for Oracle Financials or OLIS. For Oracle Financials, please see the Password Reset information on the Finance website. For OLIS, see What's my password? on their Frequently Asked Questions page.

In general, you should follow the guidelines given for OUCS passwords, but non-OUCS systems may have differences of detail in their password rules.

For more about protecting yourself online please visit our Unwelcome to IT site.

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