Setting and managing an account password

Objective

Your OVHcloud Control Panel password is required to access all of your services and information. It needs to meet a set of complexity requirements, and it must also be changed regularly to guarantee security.

Find out how to set, change and manage your password.

Requirements

• an active OVHcloud account
• your NIC handle and/or email address

Instructions

Generate a strong password

To ensure that your solutions stay secure, you will need to set a strong password for accessing the OVHcloud Control Panel. To ensure that your data is secure, it must meet the following criteria:

• It must contain at least eight characters.

• It must contain at least one upper-case letter, one lower-case letter, and one number.

• It must contain special characters (e.g. %, #, :, $, *).

• It must not contain a dictionary word.

• It must not contain any personal information (e.g. your first name, surname or date of birth).

• It must be stored in a password manager.

• It must be changed every three months.

• It must be different to any passwords that have been used before.

There are several effective ways of creating strong passwords. We recommend following the tips provided by the National Cyber Security Centre: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/top-tips-for-staying-secure-online/use-a-strong-and-separate-password-for-email

The freemium password manager LastPass also offers a tool for creating solid, randomly-generated passwords, available here.

Use a password manager

You can use specific software programs to save and secure your OVHcloud account password.

For example, you can use the password manager KeePass. It is a free, open-source, popular password manager.

It is simple to use, and involves setting a master password — which must meet a complexity requirement — then using the master password to access a database containing all of your usernames and passwords. You can make the passwords stored in the database highly complex, because the software program will store them.

The software can also generate random complex passwords, which it will save for all of the websites and applications you use.

Best practices for password management

• Check that it has not been compromised. Ensure that your current password has not been accessed by malicious parties. You can check this on the Have I Been Pwned website. If your password has been compromised, we strongly recommend changing it as soon as possible.

• Use a separate password for each service. The password for accessing your OVHcloud account should not be used on any other websites or applications. We also recommend applying this rule to all of your web services. By using a different password for each website, you can avoid having all of your services compromised with just one password theft.

• Don’t save your password in your web browser. Although it can be very practical, we do not recommend allowing your password to be saved by your browser via the “Remember this password” box. This can result in several security issues, especially if a malicious person manages to take control of your computer. They would simply need to retrieve the file containing the list of saved passwords, and they would then have access to your accounts.

• Change your password regularly. By changing your password on a regular basis, you can increase your account’s security. If you suspect that it may have been compromised, change it immediately. When you reset your password, all active sessions for your OVHcloud account will be automatically closed. Please also ensure that the password you set is different to the previous passwords you have used.

• Keep it secret. Passwords should stay secret. They should not be written down, shared with other users, or sent to third-parties. OVHcloud teams will never ask for your password, especially not via email.

Change your password

Via the OVHcloud Control Panel

• Log in to the OVHcloud Control Panel, click your name in the top right-hand corner, then click on your initials.

• Next, click Security, then Modify to the right of “Password”.

• Confirm that you want to change the password.

• An email is then sent to the account’s contact email address, to confirm the password change. Please read the instructions in the email carefully, then click on the link. The link will redirect you to the page for changing your password. Enter your NIC handle in the first field, enter your new password into the second field, and re-enter your new password in the third field.

• A message will then pop up, confirming that the password has been changed successfully. Click Continue at the bottom of the pop-up to be redirected to the login page, then enter your NIC handle and new password.

If you have forgotten your current password

• Click Forgotten your username or password? when you load the login page for the OVHcloud Control Panel.

• Enter your NIC handle, or the primary email address associated with your OVHcloud account, then click Send.

• A message will pop up, confirming that the information has been sent.

• An email is then sent to the account’s contact email address, to confirm the password change. Please read the instructions carefully in the email, then click on the link. The link will redirect you to the page for changing your password. Enter your NIC handle in the first field, enter your new password into the second field, and re-enter your new password in the third field.

• A message will then pop up, confirming that the password has been changed successfully. Click Continue at the bottom of the pop-up to be redirected to the login page, then enter your NIC handle and new password.

Go further

Top tips for staying secure online - National Cyber Security Centre

Basic guidelines defined by the NCSC for creating a strong password

LastPass password generator tool

Detailed advice on passwords from Get Safe Online

KeePass password manager

Join our community of users on https://community.ovh.com/en/.

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