Account and Password Management
WFU faculty, students, and staff can change their password, reset their forgotten password, and update account recovery information at account.wfu.edu. Easy to follow instructions are available to assist you.
Employees of WakeHealth should go to https://intranet.wakehealth.edu/departments/information-technology/it-news/change-in-password-requirements-for-service-accounts.htm for information regarding password management. Contact (336) 716-4357 (HELP) for additional support.
The following information is for Wake Forest University faculty, students, and staff only.
Account and Password Management Process
Information Systems notifies you by email 9, 6, 3, and 1 day(s) before your campus computing password expires. To assist you in avoiding phishing attempts, ensure the subject line of these messages includes the number of days until your password’s expiration and is sent from help.wfu.edu.
A small group of campus members with access to privileged information will be required to change their password every 90 days. It is important that you change your password on each of your mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets.
Remember your new password! Multiple failed login attempts with incorrect credentials will lock your account.
Your password should not be shared with anyone.
WFU Password Requirements
Your new password must meet the following requirements in alignment with security best practices. Never share or write down your password.
- For maximum security and ease of recall, we highly recommend using a Passphrase instead of a complex, random password. A Passphrase is a sentence or string of words that is easy for you to remember but extremely difficult to guess. For example:
- mycatlovescannedtuna
- chairglasswindow
- CorrectHorseBatteryStaple
- ilovegreenbeancasserole
- Tips for creating a strong passphrase:
- Length is key: A longer passphrase is exponentially harder to crack. Use three to four words.
- Keep it personal (but not public): Use a phrase that only you know, perhaps related to a hobby, an inside joke, or a memory.
- By following these guidelines, you can create a password that is both secure and manageable.
- Your password must:
- be at least 12 characters
- be no more than 32 characters
- Your password may contain:
- upper case English letters
- lower case English letters
- numbers
- any of these characters ! # $ % & ( ) + , – / ; < = > ? @ [ \ ] ^ _ ` { | } ~
- You may not re-use your 10 most recently used passwords.
- Your password must:
- You may receive an error if you use any of the following:
- Personal information (name, address, date of birth, etc.)
- Common phrases, movie quotes, or song lyrics.
- Your WFU email or username.
- Wake Forest-related words or phrases (godeacs, wakeforest, 1834, etc.)
- Passwords that have been exposed in a data breach
- Easy to guess passwords (password1234, 123456789012, etc.)
What services are synchronized with one password?
| Password Synchronized Services |
|---|
| AskDeac |
| Campus Wireless Network |
| Canvas |
| Cognos Reporting Tool |
| eIRB |
| Your computer login (on WFU-issued Windows machine) |
| VPN |
| Webex |
| WFU Email (Gmail) |
| Workday |
| Zoom |
