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NetID - Password Criteria and Requirements
This document lists the requirements for creating a new password.
- If you have forgotten your password, see: NetID Account Recovery (Password Reset) .
- If you know your password and want to reset it for security reasons, see: NetID - Modifying your Account .
Password Requirements
Choosing a strong password is an important part of protecting your access to University information technology resources.
Your NetID and password is your gateway to critical campus resources including, but not limited to, My UW-Madison, Office 365, and My WebSpace. Since your NetID remains static, it is absolutely essential that you create a strong NetID password and that you change it regularly. This will help you protect your personal identity, as well as, the resources of the university.
The UW-Madison campus has a formal Password Policy that requires you to create NetID and other passwords using the following criteria:
Passwords must:
- Be a minimum of eight (8) characters in length
- Be memorized; if a password is written down it must be secure
- Contain at least one (1) character from three (3) of the following categories:
- Uppercase letter (A-Z)
- Lowercase letter (a-z)
- Digit (0-9)
- Special character (~`!@#$%^&*()+=_-{}[]\|:;?/<>,.)
- Be private.
Passwords must not:
- Contain a common proper name, login ID, email address, initials, first, middle or last name.
- Have been used in the last year or last three passwords, whichever is greater.
- Passwords are changed twice per year (e.g., when clocks are adjusted in the spring and fall).
- Each password chosen is new and different.