User accounts and security

Activate your computing account.

To access the computing facilities, you must first activate your computing account.

You can activate your account:

Offsite by visiting my.ljmu.ac.uk

• Select ‘My Account’
• Select ‘Activate My Account’

Onsite – Via an LJMU PC or Laptop

• Press return and you will see some options on the left hand side – Select ‘Activate My Account’ 

You will need to enter your name, date of birth and your Student number (e.g. PN123456) or your Staff number (e.g. EN123456) - or you can enter the 14 digit barcode number on your LJMU ID card.

• You will be asked to select some security questions and answers
  (which you will need to remember if you forget your password in the future)
• You will be asked to set your own password
• You will be issued with your ‘username’ which you will use along with your password to log on and access the computing facilities.

Once you have activated your account and you logon for the first time you will be required to read and accept the’ IT Services Conditions of Use’. (NB: You will also need to confirm your acceptance of these conditions once a year– this is important because the Conditions change occasionally to account for changes in the law, University policy etc.)

Important information:

• Your username is unique to you and your password should be kept confidential and secure. (Don't use obvious things like your telephone number, a postcode or a date of birth etc.,  but do make it memorable)
• Never tell anyone your password, or allow someone else to log in using your computer account.
• Your password expires every 60 days.
• If you forget your password, you will need your LJMU ID card to change it.
• It is a disciplinary offence to use another person's computing account.

If you encounter a problem, please contact Library Services or call into your local LJMU Library.

Please note: Keep your account secure with a memorable password and never divulge your password to anyone.

How do I change my password?

You can change your password using any of the following techniques:

Using a PC on the LJMU computer network

1. Log in as normal
2. Press and hold down CTRL+ALT+DEL
3. In the dialog box that appears, click on Change Password...
4. Type in your old password,
5. Enter a new password
6. Confirm your new password by typing it again in the Confirm New Password box.
7. Finally, click on OK - (Your password will be updated)

Via the LJMU web site (off-campus)

You can use this option even if you current password has already expired.

1. Visit myaccount.ljmu.ac.uk and choose ‘Change My Password‘– please note - this link will only work if you are off-campus.
2. Enter your username, your current password, and a new password.
3. Confirm your new password by entering it again in the Confirm Password box.
4. Click on Change Password
5. After a few moments, a box will appear, confirming that your password has changed.

Please note

• To move the cursor between the boxes on these forms, use the Tab key or the mouse - do not use Enter / Return
• Your password is case sensitive. For example, TOMORROW and tomorrow are different.
• To keep your account as secure as possible, your password will automatically expire after a set time.
• Passwords must contain at least 8 characters.
• If you are off-campus, you will receive notification through the Microsoft Outlook Web App, the Off Campus applications service or via one of the 'LJMU Anywhere' PCs within the 14-day countdown period.
• You must make sure that your password is not one that you have used previously at LJMU. 

ITS will NEVER ask for your password, you should never divulge your password and if you think that your password has been changed by somebody else, you must change it immediately.

• On Site  - Use a  PC on the LJMU network and choose ‘Forgotten My Password’
• Off Site  - Visit myaccount.ljmu.ac.uk and choose  ‘Forgotten My Password’

If you are still having problems:

Students – Please contact Library Services or visit your nearest LJMU Library (you will need your LJMU Student ID card)

Staff – Please contact IT Services on +44 (0)151 231 5555 or visit your nearest Library (you will need your LJMU Staff ID card)

How to change your password if you have forgotten it.

Please note:  All staff and students should have a valid LJMU ID card. You will need your card if you forget your password.

To change your password if you have forgotten it, you can use one of the two options below:

Offsite by visiting my.ljmu.ac.uk

• Select ‘My Account’ 
• Select ‘Forgotten My Password’ 
• Click ‘Next’ to start the process.

Onsite – Via an LJMU PC or Laptop

• Press return and you will see some options on the left hand side – Select ‘Forgotten My Password’  
• Click the arrow to start the process…

You will need to:

• Enter your Username 
• Answer 1 of the questions that you set when you activated your account 
• Enter your Date of Birth  
• Enter the last three digits on the back of your LJMU ID card. 
• Set a new password.

Important information:

• Your username is unique to you and your password should be kept confidential and secure. (Don't use obvious things like your telephone number, a postcode or a date of birth etc.,  but do make it memorable) 
• Never tell anyone your password, or allow someone else to log in using your computer account. 
• Your password expires every 60 days. 
• It is a disciplinary offence to use another person's computing account.

If you need further assistance:

• Students – Please contact Library Services or visit your nearest LJMU Library (you will need your LJMU Student ID card) 
• Staff – Please contact IT Services on +44 (0)151 231 5555 or visit your nearest Library (you will need your LJMU Staff ID card)

Why do we use Security Q&As?

As part of the IT Services commitment to maximising the security of your computing account, we use Security Questions and Answers (Q&As) in order for you to maintain your own account and keep it secure.

These Q&As are associated with your computing account and you will need to refer to them if you forget your password and want to reset it yourself. You will not need to use them every time you log in to use the LJMU computing facilities.

Where do I set my security Q&As?

• You will have to set them when you activate your account for the first time.

Offsite - Visit myaccount.ljmu.ac.uk and choose ‘Activate My Account’

Onsite – Via an LJMU PC or Laptop – Choose ‘Activate My Account’ (left hand menu)

How can I change my Security Q&As?

• If you wish to change your Security Q&As in the future.

Visit myaccount.ljmu.ac.uk and choose: ‘Change My Security Questions and Answers’

I have forgotten both my password and Q&As, what do I do?

• Visit your nearest LJMU Library. You will need your LJMU ID card. (See the Library pages for the location of your nearest Library). Alternatively contact Library Services during normal business hours.

Will I be given a new password over the telephone?

• No. You will be required to answer some personal questions to verify your identity. Your account will be deactivated so you can activate your account again. At this point you can set up new security questions and answers and choose a new password.

Will I need my security Q&As for anything else?

• No, this service is purely to allow you to maintain your own account and keep it secure. You will not require your security Q&As to get general user support.

Useful account security advice.

• It is important to keep your security Q&As as secure as your password.
• Never tell other people what your Q&As are, and never write them down. 

Useful advice

You should keep your LJMU account details as secure as any other computing accounts you may have. Here's some common sense security tips:

• Don't write your password down
• Do not base your password on something obvious, such as name or telephone number.
• Try and combine letters and numbers in your password, such as finance356 - this makes passwords far more difficult to guess.
• For further security, consider combining UPPER and lower case characters.
• NEVER tell anyone your password

Will LJMU ever ask me for my password?

No - we will NEVER ask you for your password, either over the phone, or by email. 

Be aware

If you ever receive an email that appears to be from LJMU asking you to provide your username and password via email do not respond. Whilst the email may look as though it has come from LJMU, it's an example of a "phishing" email, used to gain access to your account details.

Email sending limitations

To minimise the risk of abuse of the LJMU email system, a maximum of 300 unique recipients can be emailed within a 24-hour period. Nb: a distribution list counts as one recipient. The vast majority of users will not be affected by this limitation, however if the limit is exceeded, a warning notice will be displayed in Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Webmail.

Useful Information:

"Phishing" emails can look like a legitimate email, and will usually be asking you to provide sensitive information, or may ask you to pay a fee. They can contain common phrases such as:

• "Verify your account."
• "If you don't respond within 48 hours, your account will be closed."
• "Dear Valued Customer."
• "Click the link below to gain access to your account."

If you receive such an email please do not click on the link, just delete it immediately.

Use of the University computing facilities is subject to adherence to the terms and conditions of computer use, good practice guidance and the operational policies defined by IT Services. These can be found on the ITS Policies pages.

Your computing account

You are entitled to a computer account as soon as you become a member of LJMU. Your account is operable until you cease to be a member of the University.

Account definition

You are defined as a member of staff if your details are recorded in the People and Organisational Development System (Staff InfoBase).

You are defined as a student if your details are recorded in the Student Information System (SIS) as being registered for a Programme of Study at LJMU.

Your entitlements

You are provided with an account, accessed via a username and password, which enables you to log on to the LJMU network to access facilities that include:

• A secure personal file-store (known as your M Drive)
• Office 365 which also includes OneDrive file-store
• An email account and use of email facilities
• Free Wifi for all staff and students
• Software provided on the Off-Campus Applications Service
• Networked printing facilities
• Web based printing facilities
• Internet access

Usage Limitations

• The extent to which some entitlements can be used is restricted by quotas which are assigned at a level determined by the category of user
• Your ability to utilise the full extent of an allocated quota is subject to the overall availability of disk space
• The contents of your personal file store, your OneDrive store and email store are retained until your account is terminated, except in exceptional circumstances dictated by operational necessity
• It is your responsibility to manage the content of your file stores and email store appropriately.
• Printing for Staff and PG-Researchers- All costs arising from use of the University's printing facilities will be charged to your faculty or department.
• Printing for Students - You must meet any charges incurred as a result of using the printing facilities.

Storage Allocation.

Personal File Store (M Drive)

• Your default file store quota for a member of staff or a student is 4GB.

OneDrive

• Staff and Students have a free allocation of 1TB.

Email Storage

• The default for a member of staff is 500MB. The default for a student is 250MB

Why we have a lockout

It is standard practice in IT to limit the number of bad password attempts. It helps to prevent malicious attempts to hack (guess) your password and allow unauthorized access to your account. Once the limit is reached (10 bad logon attempts), a ‘Lockout’ will occur against your account. Here at LJMU we have a lockout time of 30 minutes. During that time you won't be able to log in even when you are entering the correct password.

Please click on the links below for guidance on how to prevent the lockouts. the guides contain information on the following:

• What causes lockouts?
• Where you may have stored/saved your password.
• How to prevent the lockouts:
• How to recover from a lockout:
• Still getting Lockouts?
• Frequently asked questions

Closing your IT account - Student

Your university IT account usually expires approximately 90 days after the completion of your programme of study as recorded in the Student Information System. This does NOT mean 90 days after graduation. You must ensure you take copies of any important work and emails prior to your completion date.

A notification regarding your account expiry date is sent to your LJMU email account approximately 1 month before the completion of your programme of study. However, this may not happen if your completion date is amended (e.g. backdated) on the Student Information System.  It would therefore be advisable to take regular copies of any work/emails well in advance of your completion date.

Post Graduate Student
For Post Graduate students who submit their work and have already gone past their official programme completion date, the account may expire with immediate effect. Please ensure you take copies of any important work and emails prior to the submission of your work.

Withdraw or Discontinue?
For students who withdraw or discontinue from their course,  the account may expire with immediate effect. Please ensure you take copies of any important work and emails prior to submitting your notification of withdrawal.

Please note:  Once your IT account expires it is marked for deletion and no further access is permitted by LJMU

CANVAS - When will I lose access to Canvas?

• You will be able to logon to Canvas up until your account expires, including during your 90 days grace period.
  • Please note: The University will retain coursework/assignments submitted in hard copy for a period of 6 months following submission. Please contact your School Office for further information. Coursework submitted electronically via the VLE will be kept whilst a student remains fully enrolled (with an active IT account) for the duration of the programme of study, in line with student access to work submitted via the VLE (as stated in the 'Data Protection for Students (Fair Processing Notice' )

Library Books - Will I still be able to borrow Library books during my 90 days grace period?

• No, you can only take out a Library Book on loan whilst you are fully enrolled. Access to this facility will cease when your course ends (the completion date as stated in the Student Information System) - SeeLibrary Regulations for more details.  However, you will still have access to the Electronic Information Resources (e-books, e-journals and databases) during your 90 days grace period.

Office 365 - Willl I still be able to access Microsoft Office 365 and OneDrive?

• Yes, during your 90 days grace period as your subscription to Microsoft Office 365 which includes OneDrive will also expire.

Wireless Access  - Will I still be able to access the LJMU Wireless Network?

• Yes, you will continue to have access to the LJMU Network via Eduroam up until your account expires, including during your 90 days grace period.

Careers Zone  - Once I have graduated can I still use this service?

• You will be able to access the Careers Zone 24/7 digital careers tool using your LJMU credentials up until your LJMU account expires, including your 90 day grace period. Prior to losing access, you can convert your Careers Zone 24/7 account to an Alumni account, using a personal email address and a password of your choice, via the 'My Profile>Alumni Access' section of the platform. Once you have switched to an Alumni account you will have lifetime access to this service. See  Careers Zone.

Please copy your work and emails

You are advised to take copies of any important work from Canvas, your M: drive, OneDrive and Email well in advance of your programme of study end date. Access to your account will not be granted once ithe account closes and further access is not permitted by LJMU.

Your Student Record 

Although your IT account will be deleted shorlty after the account closes,  LJMU will keep a full student record on the Student Information System for the duration of your studies at LJMU, plus one year. For further information see: 'Data Protection for Students (Fair Processing Notice)'

Closing your IT account - Staff

Your university IT account will expire at midnight on the day your contract ends.

Please note: Your subscription to Microsoft Office 365 which includes OneDrive will also expire. You are advised to take copies of your email, your M: drive and your OneDrive well in advance of your expiry date as access will not be granted once your account expires.

For more information, see the Staff Computer Account Deletion Policy