​​What's happening?

• ​Beginning March 15, 2023, staff, medical staff and contractors will be required to create stronger network passwords when their password is due to expire.
• Note: This change will not affect passwords used for clinical or business applications. 

Who's impacted?

• This change will impact everyone — all staff, medical staff and contractors — who have a VCH, PHC or PHSA network account. 

What should staff, medical staff and contractors expect?

• The minimum password length will increase from 8 to 12 characters.
• Passwords that are frequently used (e.g. spring2022), easily guessable (e.g. password1234) or known to have been part of security breaches will not be permitted.
• By using stronger, more secure passwords, the expiry cycle for network passwords will be extended from 90 to 365 days in summer 2023. 

What do staff, medical staff and contractors need to do?

• Sign up for the new Self-Service Password Reset tool at https://passwordreset.healthbc.org to make it easier and faster to reset your network password without having to call the Service Desk. 
• Follow the instructions emailed to you around the time your password is set to expire with tips about how to create a strong, memorable password. 

Why are we making this change?

• Cybercriminals can target weak passwords to gain access to systems and data.
• This change will reduce the risks to clinical and business operations, better protect the personal information of patients and staff, and lay the foundation for extending the password expiry cycle.​