Skip to main content Skip to navigation

Change your IT password today to help repel the latest attack on cyber security

We are asking all staff and students to change their IT password following a particularly persistent and determined attempt to attack our systems over the weekend. While this is a precautionary measure, we would strongly advise you to change your University IT password today.

You'll be aware that many large organisations face a significant and increasing number of attempts to compromise their cyber security. Unfortunately the University isn't immune to such activity and we repel such attacks on a regular basis.

What you need to do


Step 1: Run your anti-virus software today

To make absolutely sure you're not affected by this attack, you need to make sure your anti-virus software is up to date and run a full scan of your computer today. It's good practice to scan regularly, but given the recent incident it's extremely important to do this right now.

Step 2: Change your password

Change your password: warwick.ac.uk/changepassword

Advice and support


Password on your email account

When you change your IT password, it won't currently affect your email password for several days due to the current migration to Office 365. Once that's complete, the password on your email account should update itself to the new one you've created.

Your password on other systems

It is of course good practice to employ entirely different passwords for each service or system you access. However, if you've have used the same password for any other Warwick or non-Warwick system or service then you should consider changing it there too.

Help and advice

If you encounter difficulties in changing your password, or find you can't access systems, you can obtain help from the ITS Help Desk. Their contact details are further down this page.

It is good practice to regularly change your IT password and ITS is setting in place a measure that will require all staff and students to undertake more frequent IT password changes in future.

Advice on choosing passwords

ITS Help Desk contact details:

Internal Phone: 73737
External Phone: 02476 573737
Email: helpdesk@warwick.ac.uk
Web: https://warwick.service-now.com/navpage.do