Penn State Access Account Passwords Set to Expire Annually

*** NOTE: As of Thursday, January 25, 2007, there is now a utility that allows individuals to view their access account status on the https://www.work.psu.edu/. In the right hand column you with see a link that states "Check password expiration". If you click there you will be taken to a page that shows the last time you changed your password and the next time you will be required to change your password.

Password Change Deadlines Feb 1, March 5, and April 2 Quickly Approaching

Three critical deadlines (Feb 1, March 5, and April 2) are approaching in Penn State's Password Change initiative. To avoid Internet and e-mail interruptions associated with these upcoming deadlines, all students, faculty and staff should go to http://its.psu.edu/password/ and change their Access Account passwords now, if they haven't already done so. As an added incentive, those who make their password change before February 1 will be eligible to win a $99 Computer Store gift certificate or a "clip and go" iPod Shuffle.

Below is a brief summary of the deadlines in the University's campaign to have all Penn State community members change their Access Account passwords:

February 1, 2007: WebAccess (Penn State's Web single sign-on service) will prevent access to Internet services such as ANGEL, WebMail, and the Penn State Portal for anyone who has not changed their password since August 1, 2006, until that person's password has been successfully changed.

March 5, 2007: weekly e-mail reminders will be sent to those who have not changed their password since August 1, 2006. The e-mail will state that their password is about to expire and urge them to change their password before this occurs.

April 2, 2007:  All unchanged Access Account passwords will expire if they have not been changed since August 1, 2006. If an individual's password expires, he or she will lose access to University e-mail and Internet services and will need to go to a signature station or the ITS Accounts Office to reinstate his or her connection to the Penn State network.


Note: the above schedule is part of Penn State's initiative to foster a safer computing environment by requiring that all Access Account holders change their passwords on an annual cycle. If you haven't changed your Access Account password yet this academic year, go to http://its.psu.edu/password/ and change your password today to avoid loss of WebAccess Internet services on or after Feb 1 (see explanation regarding the specific deadlines above).  If you have questions about changing your password, or would like to learn more about Penn State's Password Change Initiative, contact the ITS HelpDesk at 863-1035 and 863-2494 (or 1-888-778-4010, toll-free within PA).

* AS PART OF THIS INITIATIVE, ALL ACCESS ACCOUNT HOLDERS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE/ PENN STATE'S WEBACCESS/ SYSTEM TO ACCESS INTERNET SERVICES SUCH AS ANGEL, ELION, AND WEBMAIL, BEGINNING FEBRUARY 1, UNLESS THEY HAVE ALREADY CHANGED THEIR PASSWORDS.

Go to the Password Change Web site at http://its.psu.edu/password/ and change your password today.