Password Policy

Cardiff High School

Password policy & Guidance

As the school handles a lot of sensitive information we must ensure we make every effort to keep this information secure. One of the ways we can help achieve this is by having a strong password policy and enforcement strategy.

Passwords must contain a minimum of 8 Characters and contain at least 1 capital letter and number as well as a special character such as @!#£$%&. 

When logging into the network for the first time you will be asked to choose a new password, this password will need to be changed every 90 days or If IT support need to login to your account to test any rectifications made as a result of a logged helpdesk call, we will reset your password and you will need to choose a new one. You are not permitted to use any part of your name in your password and the system remembers the previous 3 passwords used. We don't need your password nor can we see what it is but we can always re-set it for you. Each time this happens the owner of the selected password will be you the user,

A strong password and remembering to lock your pc when not in use helps ensure Data security compliance with laws such as the Data Protection act.

Some password examples are shown below:

A Weak password example is: pizza123 a strong password example is: P1Zz@132!

If you don’t use your PC for 20 minutes the screen will lock and you will need to re-enter your password and if there is no activity for 2 hours you will be logged out of the PC.

If you have any questions regarding selecting a strong password please contact us on ithelpdesk@cardiffhigh.co.uk