Tufts EECS Systems Information

Managing Your Password

You are required to change your password every 168 days (approximately 5.5 months)

If your password is still valid, it is easiest to change it with the “passwd” command on any linux host. Either use one of the Linux machines in the labs or use a terminal window to ssh into ‘linux.eecs.tufts.edu’ or ‘homework.eecs.tufts.edu’. For information on how to use SSH, please see this page.

Example:

$ ssh sampleUser@linux.eecs.tufts.edu
sampleUser password: [Enter Current Password]
linux{sampleUser}5: passwd
Changing password for user sampleUser.
Current Password:
New password:
Retype new password:
passwd: all authentication tokens updated successfully.

 

NOTE: If your password is expired, and you have a Tufts Exchange email account, you may reset your password at this web page: EECS Account Reset Page.

NOTE: If you primarily use Windows, because of the way our environment is setup, we recommend that you use the EECS Account Reset Page to make sure changes are applied correctly.

NOTE: If you don’t have a Tufts account, do one of the following:

  1. Stop by Halligan 231 to have one of the systems staff reset it.
  2. If you’re remote or can’t come during business hours, fill out the password reset form and either email it staff@eecs.tufts.edu or fax it to 617.627.3327
Picking A Good Password:

It’s a good idea to change your password periodically. But how to choose a good password? Passwords must be at least 8 characters in length — they can be longer — and should contain:

  • A minimum of 1 lower case letter [a-z] and
  • A minimum of 1 upper case letter [A-Z] and
  • A minimum of 1 numeric character [0-9] and
  • A minimum of 1 special character [~`!@$%^&*()-_+={}[]|;:'”<>,./?].

Please do not use the same password in the Department that you use anywhere else. (whether in the rest of the university, or at other jobs, or at other research institutions, or at vendors, e.g., amazon.com)

  • Avoid any using names (like rachel, heather, mike ) or personal information.
  • Never tell anyone else your password.
  • Never ever write your password down, or post in your work area, or in a file online.
  • Passwords should not contain ANY personal information.
  • Passwords must not be based on a dictionary word or have been previously cracked. (dictionaries site)
Picking a Memorable Password:

XKCD Explains it best:

TL;DR

  • Pick something that’s easy to remember, but hard for a computer to crack.
  • Complexity is not always better.
  • Try thinking of your favorite song lyrics, or a phrase from a movie, or favorite quote, then convert that into your password.
  • For example:
    • “Four Score and Seven Years Ago” could be turned into “FScore&7YAgo”
    • “!Ggyup!Glyd” would be for “Never Gonna Give You Up, Never Gonna Let You Down”
    • Or just use a phrase that you like, such as: “RickRollingWasSo2010”