How To Change Your Password

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There are four methods for changing the password for your ECE account. Whichever method you use, the same new password will apply for Windows workstations in the UBC_ECE domain, Unix/Linux servers and workstations managed by ECE IT Services, and ECE mail servers.

Method 1: Using the Self-Service ECE Account Management web application

You can use this method if you know your old password. Students, faculty, and staff who have a Campus-Wide Login account can also use this method even if you don't know the password for your ECE account.

  1. Go to https://id.ece.ubc.ca
  2. Log in using either your ECE or CWL account
  3. If you are eligible for a self-service password change, click Change Password…. Otherwise, you will have to change your password in person (see Method 4 below).

Method 2: Using a Windows workstation

You can do this on a Windows workstation in the UBC_ECE domain, such as those in the undergraduate computer labs.

  1. Log on using your ECE account (be sure to select the UBC_ECE domain when doing so)
  2. Press Ctrl-Alt-Del
  3. Click on Change Password...
  4. Ensure that Log on to is set to the UBC_ECE domain. (Changing the password for your account in any other domain, such as UBC_ECE_STAFF, does not affect your Unix / mail password.)
  5. Enter your old and new passwords

Method 3: Using one of the ssh-linux servers

You can do this from any Internet-connected computer that has an Secure Shell client.

  1. Use SSH to connect to ssh.ece.ubc.ca
  2. At the shell prompt, run the passwd command
  3. Enter your old and new passwords when prompted

Method 4: In person

See IT staff in Kaiser 2010B to change your password. Photo ID required.

Password Complexity Rules

The system will reject any password that is not sufficiently complex. Select a password that:

  • has all of the following types of characters:
    • Upper-case letters, lower-case letters, digits, and punctuation.
    • Upper-case letters at the beginning of your password and digits at the end of your password do not count towards meeting this requirement.
  • is different from your previous password
  • is at least eight characters in length
  • is not similar to a word
  • is not similar to your name or username

These requirements are based on the UBC Information Security Manual V3.0 (Draft) and Microsoft's built-in rules.


Alternatively, you can choose a passphrase of 16 characters or more. With a passphrase, there is no requirement to use different types of characters, except that there must be at least two space characters (i.e. three words). However, it must still not be based on your name.

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