Characteristics - Passwords must be at least eight characters in length; contain at least one alphabetic and one numeric character; be different from the last five passwords; and not be easily guessable (license plate, telephone number, birthday, etc.).

Expiration - Users are required to change their passwords at least every 180 days (more frequently for some users). Users are encouraged to change their password more frequently, and should immediately do so if the password may have been compromised (i.e., someone may have seen or otherwise obtained it). An email notification is sent to the user 14 days before his or her password expires, followed by several reminders.

Reset - Users who have forgotten their password or allowed it to expire may reset their password. The user requesting the change is authenticated using a combination of username, last four digits of SSN, birth date and a secret question that is required for employees and optional for students. A password is generated and displayed on the screen for a maximum of 20 seconds. The generated password is random and follows the guidelines in the Characteristics section above.

User Responsibilities - Users are held responsible for all activities associated with their accounts. Upon using his or her LVC username and password for the first time, a user agrees to:

• Comply with the College's Acceptable Use Policy.
• Use a strong password (see the Characteristics section above).
• Change the password at least every 180 days or more frequently as needed.
• Protect the password and never share it even with a relative, friend or colleague