Creating & Protecting Your Password

All Nazareth University students, faculty, and staff (including contractors and vendors with access to Nazareth University systems) are responsible for taking the appropriate steps, as outlined below, to select and secure their passwords.  Passwords are an important aspect of Information Security, the front line of protection. A poorly chosen password may result in the compromise of Nazareth’s data and/or systems. 

How to Create Strong Passwords

Passwords are used for various purposes at Nazareth University, protecting access to both systems and confidential data. Since it is very easy to guess or crack certain types of passwords, you should know how to select strong passwords that adhere to the following criteria:

  1. Passwords must contain characters from three of the following four categories: (Uppercase characters) (Lowercase characters) (Numbers) (Non-alphanumeric characters: ~!@#$%^&*_-+=`|\(){}[]:;"'<>,.?/)
  2. Passwords must be at least 16 alphanumeric characters long. Longer is better. Consider using a phrase or short sentence so that it can be easily remembered.
  3. Passwords must be significantly different from previous ones.
  4. Passwords must not contain your username or your name.
  5. Nazareth requires that you change your myNaz password at least every 90 days. ITS strongly encourages you to change your password before it expires, to avoid disruption of access to University services. Passwords can be changed at any time at https://authx.naz.edu/

A great way to create a password is to devise a mnemonic based on a song title or other phrase. For example, your phrase might be "I think Naz Flyers are number one"; then your password could be "itNF@n1!” 

How to Protect your Password 

All passwords are considered confidential data.  To secure your password, be sure to:

  1. Never share a password with anyone, including other faculty, staff, students, friends or relatives.
  2. Never include a password in an email, text, etc.
  3. Never store passwords in a file on any computer, laptop or mobile device without encryption. (KeePass is a free utility that provides a safe way to store passwords.) Never write your password on paper.
  4. Never use the same password for Nazareth accounts as for non-Nazareth access (e.g. stores, banks, music services, Web sites, personally owned computers, or other systems)
  5. Never use the "Remember Password" feature of applications. 

You should never be asked for your password.  If someone demands a password for a University computer or account, have him or her contact Technology and Media Service Desk at 585-389-2111.

If you suspect that an account or password has been compromised, report the incident to TMSD and then change ALL passwords.  Change your myNaz password by going to https://authx.naz.edu/.

Have Questions?

Contact the Technology and Media Service Desk: