Faculty/Staff: Password Tips for Off-campus & Mobile Users

Shortcut:  https://behrend.psu.edu/password-tips

Two Important Questions | Tips | Notification of Password Expiration | Didn't Change Password While Connected to Campus Network | Locked Out of Office 365 Applications

Two Important Questions for Faculty and Staff

  1. Will you be taking time off or be away from the University due to vacation, a holiday, sabbatical, etc?
  2. And do you access Penn State resources with a laptop or mobile device when off-campus or traveling? 

If you answered "Yes" to any of the above, please read the information below BEFORE you change your password. 

Here's why...  The new Enterprise Active Directory (EAD) processes requires that your desktop, laptop, and mobile devices to be in sync with your new password and this must be done BEFORE your mobile devices leave PSU.  If this is not done, then you may be locked out of your desktop PC and laptop as well as OneDrive and Office 365.

Tips

Here are a few helpful tips and information you need to know about your password. 

  1. To manage your Access Account, including your password, visit the PSU Accounts web site.  This landing page provides links to allow you to recover or create a new password.
  2. And, if you login to to the PSU Accounts web site, you can:
    1. Enter a recovery email address.  This is helpful if you forget your password.  Select "Security Settings.  Under "Account Recovery Settings", click on "Recovery Email" and enter a non-PSU email address. 
  3. You can also manage your additional phone number(s) and email address(es) for password recovery via WorkLion.
    1. Login to ​WorkLion and click on "WorkDay".  Select these menu options:  "Personal Information" and then "Contact Information".  Click the Edit button and add an "Additional Phone".  You can also add an "Additional Email".  When done, click the Submit button.

 

What if I didn't change my password while connected to the campus network?

If you are off-campus, perform these steps on your laptop so that you can login and sync your password:

  1. Turn off your wireless connection on your laptop.
  2. Login with your OLD password.
  3. Turn on your wireless connection.
  4. If using Global Protect VPN:  Global Protect usually starts automatically when you login to your PC.  If not, then:
    1. In the lower, right corner of your screen, click on the arrow icon to show the hidden icons.
    2. Click on the Global Protect icon.  (If it's not running, it will look like a gray globe and have a red circle with an "x" inside.)
    3. Global Protect will now make a VPN connection.  It may take a few moments.  (Once it has connected, the gray globe changes to blue and has a black circle with a checkmark inside.)
    4. Proceed to step 6.
  5. Lock your computer.  To do so, press these keys:  CTRL-ALT-DEL and select Lock.
  6. Unlock your computer.  Press the CTRL-ALT-DEL keys.
  7. Login with your user ID and NEW password.

If the above steps do not allow you to login from off-campus, then you will need to continually perform the steps below until you return to campus.

  1. Turn off your wireless connection on your laptop.
  2. Login with your OLD password.
  3. Turn on your wireless connection.

Now you can use your computer.

What if I'm locked out of Office 365 applications (e.g. Word, Outlook, etc.)?

This happens if you are off-campus AND changed your password while using your laptop or a mobile device.  As a result, you will not be able to access Office 365 applications with your either your old or new password.

  1. Open Word.
  2. Sign-out from Word (to make sure that you are signed out of Office 365).  To do so:
    1. Click on your name in the top, right corner of the screen.
    2. Click:  Sign Out.
    3. Close all Office applications.
  3. Sign in to Word (to make sure that you can access Office 365 applications).  To do so:
    1. Open Word again.
    2. From the menu, select:  File > Account and then "Sign In" (located in the bottom, left corner of the screen).
    3. Login with your new password at the WebAccess screen.  (If you don't get the WebAcces/2FA screen, then you weren't completely signed out.
    4. Exit from Word.
  4. Verify that your new password has been synced to the mobile device.  To do so, access a PSU resource (e.g. Outlook) from your mobile device.

Note:  If using Jabber or secure WiFi, you will also be prompted for your password.

Now you are set to use your devices off-campus.