Password and Information Security Practices at SUNY Empire

  • SUNY Empire personnel will not ask for your password. Therefore, you should not give your password to anyone requesting it.
  • Multi-Factor Authentication is required for your university account to access Microsoft 365 and other systems. You can setup MFA authentication methods at the Microsoft Security Information website.
  • MFA setup on your account means your password does not expire.
  • A forgotten password can be reset at www.esc.edu/mypassword

Password Safety and Security Tips

Your online accounts, smart devices, and personal residences all require strong passwords to prevent others from gaining unauthorized access. Cybercriminals can crack weak passwords in seconds, so it’s very important that your online account has a unique password.

Secure passwords are those that are easy to remember, but hard to guess. Never use the same password for multiple online accounts.

Passwords should be at least 14 characters long. Remember, longer passwords are stronger passwords. Use a combination of each below:

  • UPPERCASE characters (A to Z)
  • Lowercase characters (a to z)
  • Numbers (0 to 9)
  • Symbols (! $ # % @ &*[ < >)

Step 1: Think of a phrase or the name of a song for example: “Taking pictures of myself, self, self.”

Step 2: Take the first letter of each word: “Tpom,s,s”

Step 3: Add numbers and characters and you’ll get something like: “#1995Tpom,s,s;-)”

  • Special Dates (birthday, anniversary dates, etc.)
  • Family Names (pet, spouse, children’s names, etc.)
  • Address
  • Alphabet or Numeric Sequences (bcdef, 34567, etc.)
  • Similarities to previous passwords
  • Reusing previous passwords

 

For more information on SUNY Empire's technology policies, procedures, and guidelines please visit Technology Policies.

For more information, or technical assistance, contact the SUNY Empire IT Service Desk at 1-888-435-7009 or submit an incident ticket.

IT Service Desk

888-Help-009 (888-435-7009)
518-581-5656