Your Hawkeye Passphrase (Password)

• Create a unique passphrase that isn’t used for any other Hawkeye or personal account. Avoid recycling or reusing passwords.
• Your passphrase should be at least 8 characters long for students, and at least 12 characters for faculty and staff. The longer, the better!
• Don’t use simple words or common names, as they are easy to guess.
• Your passphrase must include characters from at least three of these four groups:
  • Uppercase letters (A–Z)
  • Lowercase letters (a–z)
  • Numbers (0–9)
  • Special characters like (!@#$%^&*()_+|~-=`{}[]:";'<>?,./)

Following these guidelines helps keep your account safe.

Your password or passphrase is important and should be treated like private, confidential information. Here are some tips to keep it safe:

• Don’t share your password with anyone, not even coworkers, family, or friends—whether it’s for work, school, or personal use.
• Never write down your password and leave it somewhere in your office or around your home.
• Don’t store your password on your computer or phone unless it’s properly encrypted (meaning it’s locked and secure).
• Avoid using the "Remember Password" feature in browsers or apps.
• Never give out your password over the phone, in an email, or on any form or security questionnaire.
• Don’t give hints about your password, like saying it’s based on your family name or birthday.

If you think your password might have been compromised, report it right away to the Chief Information Officer and change your password immediately to protect your account.

Students: Your password/passphrase will expire after 4 months (120 days).

Faculty and staff: Your password/passphrase will expire after 12 months.

If you enter your password incorrectly six times, your Hawkeye account will be locked.

To regain access, reach out to Communication and Information Services (CIS) for help.

The Communication and Information Services (CIS) team may occasionally perform scans to check for weak or easily guessed passwords/passphrases. If your password/passphrase is guessed or cracked during one of these scans, you'll be asked to change it to meet the Password/Passphrase Construction Guidelines.