Password recovery via Microsoft Self-Service (SSPR)

Passwords can be reset via Microsoft's Self-Service Password Reset service. This service allows you to reset your password after verifying your identity with Personal Information on your MyCWU account such as email, phone, or MFA app. 

Changing a known password

If you know your current password, you can perform a password change via the My Security Info page in Microsoft's My Account page.  Click Change next to Password.  If you do not remember your password, follow the instructions below.

Getting Started

1. Visit the Microsoft Self Service Password Reset (SSPR).
2. Enter your email alias (firstname.lastname@cwu.edu) or your username in the form of username@cwu.edu
3. Enter the information requested by the CAPTCHA program.  If you can’t easily view the information requested, click buttons to the right that allow you to refresh the images or have text read aloud to you.

Password Reset Methods

Email

Your identity can be verified by sending a verification code to your personal email address. Microsoft automatically pulls and uses the personal email address listed in MyCWU.

⚠️ NOTE: If your personal email address was not kept up to date in MyCWU, you may not be able to reset your password with this method. 

1. Click the Email button. Microsoft will send a verification code to the account you choose from the list. These will be masked for security purposes. 

2. Retrieve the verification code from your personal inbox. Enter the code in the verification code box. Click Next.

   

Phone Call

Your identity can be verified with a phone number associated with your account.  If you haven’t recorded a phone number in MyCWU, Microsoft will not display this as an option for password reset. You will need to select a different verification method for password reset.

1. Enter the registered phone number that is being hinted at.
2. Answer the call from Microsoft and press the # sign to verify.

Microsoft Authenticator Notification

Using the Microsoft Authenticator app, a notification can be sent to verify your identity. This is only if your account was previously registered for multi-factor authentication. 

1. Click the "Send notification" button.
2. When the notification arrives, enter the numbers on the page. If these are obscured by the notification, press "I can't see the numbers" to dismiss the notification temporarily.

Authenticator Code

Authenticator provides a ONE-TIME passcode from authenticator apps such as Microsoft Authenticator, Google Authenticator, etc. These codes can be used for verification if previously registered for MFA. Since there are many compatible applications, documentation will not be covered here.

Finishing up

After having successfully verified your identity through one of the aforementioned methods, you will need to set up a new password. Here are the requirements you'll need to meet.

1. Must be at least 14 characters long. CWU recommends the use of Passphrases. These are longer and more complex because they are a meaningful string of words.
2. Must not include your name or any part of your name, birth date, username or any personal info like street addresses or phone numbers.
3. It cannot be too close to any previous passwords you have used. The system also scans for passwords too easy to hack or that have been compromised.
4. Must have at least three types of the following characters:
   1. Symbol (!, #, $, etc.)
   2. Number (0-9)
   3. Lowercase (a-z)
   4. Uppercase (A-Z)
5. Confirm the password by entering it again.
6. Click Finish. If the chosen password meets minimum criteria, it will finish up. If not, it will prompt you to try again.
7. Congratulations, your password has been reset!