Changes to OpenAthens password requirements

OpenAthens is the key to unlocking access to all of the electronic content available to you purchased by the Library Service, and nationally by Health Education England.

An OA account provides you with access to electronic books and journals, databases and other key evidence resources. 

OA have recently changed their password requirements for all user accounts to align with UK National Cyber Security Council guidance. Having nudged users to update their passwords over the last few months, this is now mandatory: everyone with a non-compliant password must update it at login.

Here is some guidance you can use if you are struggling to choose a suitable password:

• password length must be between 10 and 100 charact
  ers and pass a strength assessment
• passwords are case sensitive, and just about any character from any language is fine, including spaces (if it's on the keyboard you're using it should be ok)
• one option is to use a passphrase – a string of three random words such as vaseclockbox (think along the lines of what3words)

Passwords cannot:

• be the same as the username
• contain words known by hackers to be commonly used such as 'password' or 'letmein'
• contain non-printable characters such as control codes

Please contact one of the libraries if you have any questions about OpenAthens.