Username & Password

 

Forgot Username - If you forgot your campus username, please go to the campus homepage and use the search box in the top rigth hand corner of the page. Type in your name then hit enter, and a box appears (“Departments and People”) with your name and your campus username.

Forgot Password  If you are unable to log in and you know your campus username, please go to the Change Password page and click on "Forgot Your Password." You will be asked to enter your username, and then answer your security questions.  If you don't remember your security questions, please fill out our online Password Reset Request Form, and if your submission matches the information on-file with the university, we will be able to respond with a temporary password and instructions for creating your own password thereafter.

Fac/Staff - Frequently Asked Questions:

The campus has changed "your computer is locked" policy due to the number of unsuccesful attemps to login.  A new "soft-lock" policy has been introduced in order to reduce the numbe rof lockout attacks we've been seeing for the past few months. This change has been approved by the CISO.

The new policy is as follows:

• 7+ bad login attempts results in an account lock
• 6 bad login attempts results in a "soft-lock", which clears in 10 minutes
• 4 bad login attempts originating from non-US IPs will be blocked. The behavior is the same as the “soft-lock" above, and will clear in 10 minutes.

It is important to read  information on steps to change your password.  Enrollment is required in order to setup the self service reset challenge questions whereby you can change you own password immediately.

How Will I Know When It's Time to Change My Password? You will receive email warnings before your password expires. These warnings will be sent on the following days:

• 30 days to password expiry
• 14 days to password expiry
• 7 days to passowrd expiry
• 1 day to password expiry

What Makes a Valid Password?
All passwords must have the following to be valid:

• At least eight characters in length; and no more than 18
• At least one lower case letter
• At least one upper case letter
• At least one number
• Must not contain restricted patterns (for example CSUSM or password) 
• (NEW) Cannot use words that contain 5 consecutive characters from your old password or username
• (NEW) Cannot use dictionary words in the new password as defined by the NIST Level 1 standard

Why Should I Change My Password, and Where Do I Change It?
We have an obligation to protect information stored on our computer systems from unauthorized access. We require all Faculty and Staff members to change their password every 12 weeks (84 days).

What Will Happen If I Don't Change My Password Before It Expires?
If you still have not changed your password by the third warning, your account will be disabled -- you will not be able to log into your computer, your email, my.csusm.edu, and other university systems.

Can I Share My Password?
No. Sharing passwords is a violation of the Computer Equipment Access Policy.  By sharing your password with anyone, you are giving that person access to your email, my.csusm.edu, and other confidential resources to which you have been granted access.