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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Atlanta, GA | Posted: May 28, 2013
Passwords! Hard to live without them these days, but easy to forget them. So what do you do when that password you swore you’d never forget escapes you? You know the one. The inspirational phrase you heard at that training class you took for work. No, wait. You’ve changed it since then. Right, it was that funny saying on your dog’s water dish. Wasn’t it?
Or if you’re a freshman, maybe your parents chose it for you when they submitted your application packet to GT and you never knew it to start with. It could be Great Aunt June’s birthday, for all you know.
So now what? If you’ve already established password hints, you can use those hints and sometimes Buzzcard numbers to reset your password in GT Passport, but only if you remember them. If that doesn’t work, in the past, you’ve had to visit the Technology Support Center (TSC) in Clough Commons or your department’s IT manager to get your password reset.
But now, resetting forgotten passwords is a whole lot easier. In April, Georgia Tech’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) rolled out flexible vetting, an on-line process that helps identify you through a series of security questions. To initiate the process, go to the Georgia Tech Passport link (https://passport.gatech.edu) and select “I have forgotten my GT Account password.” Then just follow the prompts.
First you’ll receive a pin number by email, voice call, or text message—your choice. After entering the pin, you’ll be asked to enter or verify personal information such as birthday, the last few digits of your social security number, password hints, or Buzzcard number. Every correct answer will increase your security “score,” and a high enough score will allow you to reset your password on-line. Too many wrong answers, however, will lock down the system, and you will have to visit or call the TSC to get the password reset.
If you can’t verify enough information, you’ll have the option of scanning and uploading a government-issued photo ID to the passport system. If the ID passes sanity checks, you will receive a phone or Skype call from the TSC to verify as much information as possible and assist you with resetting your password.
For more information or questions about flexible vetting, call the TSC at 404-894-7173.
