Some staff may start to receive emails from the University’s Identity Management system warning that they need to change their password or it will expire and they will be locked out of some systems.

The emails should be coming from idms@bitbucket.it.canterbury.ac.nz, and will ask you to log into RAS https://ras.canterbury.ac.nz. However, if you are concerned about the validity of the email, contact ictservicedesk@canterbury.ac.nz.

These changes were announced in the Diary early in November:

Learning Resources announcement about passwords
The University’s Identity Management systems (IdMS) is moving into the next phase of managing access to our ICT systems. After 10 November 2010 it will begin to enforce password expiry. Users will need to change their password on a regular basis. Depending on your role and the access to information you have, you will be required to either change your password every 90 days or every 365 days. This is a New Zealand Audit requirement around data security with which the University is required to comply. Initially only about 600 people, who have special access in the PeopleSoft HRMS, will be affected. Later on the new password policy will apply to anyone who has access to sensitive information or intellectual property.

If you are one of the people who has additional access to PeopleSoft HRMS, to view other people’s private information, and you have not changed your password in the last 90 days, you will receive an automatically generated email advising you that you have seven days to change your password. The instructions on how to do that will be included in the email. If you fail to change your password in that time, your access to PeopleSoft will be blocked. If that occurs you will need to contact the ICT Service Desk to have your account re-enabled.