Password, policy and annual notification

Your UGent password allows you to access your e-mail, Minerva, Athena, computers in the UGent PC-rooms (managed by DICT), central disk space and UGent web applications. You also use it to set up a VPN connection to UGent.

The Executive Board took the following decisions (Verslag ) concerning the UGent account password policy:

• an annual password change is MANDATORY
• when setting a new password, the strenght of the newly chosen password is checked; only a sufficiently strong password will be accepted
• you can perform just one password change per day
• when setting a new password there may be no reuse of the previous 5 passwords

Near the date of the yearly password expiration, the following notification appears:

Your password will expire on [date]. Please take a minute to choose a new password. 
UGent may expire passwords as a security measure to protect accounts.

Change UGent password (online)

If you know your password and you want to change it, visit the password site: https://password.ugent.be/.
Password changes are effective immediately.

Change UGent password via e-mail

We can send you a password reset e-mail.

1. Go to https://password.UGent.be/ and click "Reset password via e-mail".
2. Follow the instructions on the screen. An e-mail is sent to the private e-mail address which you have PREVIOUSLY entered in Apollo or Oasis.
3. Click on the link in the e-mail you received and follow the instructions to choose a new password.

Tip: If you do not see the e-mail immediately, search for e-mails with "@UGent.be" in the sender.

Please note: You can only use this service if you have PREVIOUSLY registered your private e-mail address with UGent.

How to register/change your private e-mail address?

• Staff: in Apollo (Personeel > Mijn Gegevens > Persoonlijke gegevens > Communicatie > Extern e-mailadres) - Tip: Use the "Help" link in the Apollo application.
• Students: in Oasis (Mijn Oasis > persoonlijke gegevens > contactgegevens > e-mail) - Tip: Use the manual in the Oasis application, via the question mark icon.

Password changed? Read this!

With your new password, you can no longer sign in from devices (and use applications) which have stored ("remembered") your old password.

Remove saved passwords:

• in your browser, if you selected "remember password" for "webmail.UGent.be" or "owa.UGent.be". Please consult: Clear browser cache. Avoid using the "remember password" functionality.

Enter your new password :

• in the WiFi (wireless) settings of all (mobile) devices that you use to connect wirelessly (eduroam).
• in the settings for the UGent (e-mail) account on your smartphone (or other mobile devices), if you synchronise e-mail, calendar or contacts.
• in the settings of your VPN client, which you use to establish a VPN connection.

Guidelines for choosing a password

• A strong password consists of 8 to 32 characters.
• It can contain any combination of the following characters:

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
! # $ % & ( ) * + , . / : ; < = > ? @ [ ^ ] _ ` { | } ~ -

• Your password cannot contain accents or spaces.
• Your password cannot contain your login name
• The new password must differ sufficiently from previous password
• The password should not be too weak. We use a strength meter to give you an indication of the strength or weakness of your password.
• Do not use your UGent password for any other application.

Tips

• Avoid using the "remember password" functionality. Please read: Entering passwords on a shared or public computer.
• When choosing a new password the UGent password strength meter is used to and see how strong it is.
• A good password is easy to remember but hard to guess for a computer.
• A good password is difficult to guess by others. Do not use terms which you often use on social media. For example: if you are a fan of heavy metal, then heavy metal terms such as guitar brands are easy to guess.
• A good way to achieve a strong password or passphrase is to use a random collection of four words. You can get inspiration from your environment: list a number of things you come across on your way to work or to class. For example, "elderberry" jam at breakfast, a "fence", "+ 3.5t" on a road sign, and "Sprinter", the brand of a car you saw. Combined, this is "elderberryfence+3,5tSprinter". The password strength meter assesses this as a "very strong" password.
• Useful tips for strong passwords can also be found:
  • in the article Stanford's password policy shuns one-size-fits-all security .
  • on the Stay Smart Online  site of the Australian government.

Cannot access your account?

• Forgot your password?
• Password hacked? If you suspect that your password has been compromised (cracked), please contact Account Management in person or by telephone during business hours. Help yourself and others: report abuse!