Your system manager can set up your account so that your password,
or the account itself, expires automatically on a particular date
and time. Password expiration times promote system security by forcing you
to change your password on a regular basis. Account expiration times
help to ensure that accounts are available only for as long as they
are needed.
Changing an Expired Password |
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As you approach the expiration time of your password, you
receive an advance warning message. The message first appears 5
days before the expiration date and at each subsequent login. The
message appears immediately below the new mail message and sounds
the bell character on your terminal to attract your attention. The
message indicates that your password is expiring, as follows:
WARNING -- Your password expires on Thursday 19-DEC-2001 15:00 |
If you fail to change your password before it expires, you
receive the following message when you log in:
Your password has expired; you must set a new password to log in
New password: |
The system prompts you for a new password or, if automatic
password generation is enabled, asks you to select a new password
from those listed (see “Using Generated Passwords”). You can abort the login by pressing Ctrl/Y. At your
next login attempt, the system again prompts you to change your
password.
When You Are Using a Secondary Password
If secondary passwords are in effect for your account (see “Knowing What Type
of Password to Use”), the secondary
password may expire at the same time as the primary one. You are
prompted to change both passwords. If you change the primary password
and press Ctrl/Y before changing the secondary password, the login
fails. The system does not record a password change.
When You Fail to Change Your Password
If the system manager decides not to force you to change your
expired password upon logging in, you receive one final warning
when you log in after your password expires, as follows:
WARNING -- Your password has expired; update immediately with
SET PASSWORD! |
At this point, if you do not change the password or if the
system fails before you have the opportunity to do so, you will
be unable to log in again. To regain access, see your system manager.
Renewing an Expired Account |
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If you need your account for a specific purpose for a limited
time only, the person who creates your account may specify a period
of time after which the account lapses. For example, student accounts
at universities are typically authorized for a single semester at
a time.
The system automatically denies access to expired accounts.
You receive no advance warning message before the account expiration
date, so it is important to know in advance your account duration.
The account expiration resides in the UAF record, which can be accessed
and displayed only through the use of the Authorize utility (AUTHORIZE)
by users with the SYSPRV privilege or equivalent---normally, your
system manager or security administrator.
When your account expires, you receive an authorization failure
message at your next attempted login. If you need an extension,
follow the procedures defined at your site.
