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The NetID is your user id at the University. Students, faculty, and staff are automatically eligible to obtain a NetID. With its associated password, the NetID allows you access to a variety of online services offered at the entire University system, such as:

Next Steps

More about USF's NetID


To Activate Your NetID

  1. Go to https://netid.usf.edu
  2. Click on the link which says Activate your USF NetID
  3. Enter your First and Last Names in the fields provided.
  4. Click the primary identification item you wish to use:
    • USF ID# will look like U12345678.
    • USF ID card number which starts with 6400. Then press the Continue button.
    • USF NetID if you were provided a NetID and personal code for activation.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions. New users will be asked to select a secret question and provide an answer. Users who have previously activated their NetID will be prompted for the answer to their secret question.
  6. Create your password. Note: Passwords must contain both letters and numbers but no dictionary words and must be at least eight (8) characters long.
Your NetID should now be set up. Users who have previously activated their NetID will be prompted to change their password.

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Reset Your NetID Password

Don't worry! If you need to reset your password, please visit https://netid.usf.edu and click Reset Your USF NetID Password.

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Forgot Your NetID?

If you've forgotten what your NetID, visit https://netid.usf.edu and click Activate Your NetID and follow the prompts. You will also have the option of changing your password.

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Why USF NetID?

The NetID is your user ID at the University. Students, faculty, and staff are automatically eligible to obtain a NetID. With its associated password, the NetID allows you access to a variety of online services offered at the entire University system, such as:

For faculty and staff, the NetID is not just another ID and password to be remembered, it’s the opportunity to eliminate as many other IDs and passwords as possible. The move toward a single identity and single sign-on is already under way as part of our Identity and Access Management program, and as it progresses, most online services (including eUSF, OASIS) will become accessible only with your NetID and password.

What’s the big deal about “Single Sign-On”?

  • Reduces the number of passwords a user has to remember and change before they expire,
  • Reduces the risk of identity theft by limiting the number of password stored on or off campus. 
  • Provides a consistent login page that works on all browsers which is also used to change or reset your password. 
  • Allows for better audit controls and management of resource availability.
  • Users can login once and switch applications without having to login again (within the allowable time 2 hours).
  • Most applications/services are easier to integrate, and often can be plugged in for other services on campus.
  • By utilizing Shibboleth capability to the authentication services, USF has been able to create strategic partnerships with institutions like InCommon, Microsoft (Dreamspark), AlcoholEdu, and soon the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
  • All students and over 75% of existing USF employees already have one!

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Eligibility

The following people are allowed to activate a normal, name-based NetID (e.g. ‘jdoe’):

  • Admitted Students
  • Enrolled Students
  • Current or Future - Staff
  • Current, Future, or Inactive(former) - Faculty
  • Current or Future Identified - “VIPs" or "Guests” (currently"POI" in GEMS)
Reminder: Only real, person-based identities (not generic, “test”, or “training” identities) are allowed to have USF NetIDs in production.

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Activation / Selecting

  • Nickname
  • Firstname
  • Middlename
  • Lastname
  • First letter Firstname + Lastname
  • First letter Nickname + Lastname
  • Firstname + first letter Lastname
  • Lastname + first letter Firstname
  • Lastname + first letter Nickname
  • First letter Firstname + first letter Middlename + Lastname
  • First letter Firstname + first letter Middlename + first letter Lastname
  • First letter Lastname + first letter Middlename + first letter Firstname
  • Firstname + Lastname
  • Nickname + Lastname
  • Firstname + Middlename + Lastname
  • Answers to the “Challenge questions” used during self-service password reset will be stored encrypted.

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Password Expiration

Beginning August 13, 2009, all users will be required to change their passwords within the 180-day time period.  You will be warned that your password will expire 30 to 45 days prior to expiration.  You will then be required to change your password every 180 days from the date of your last password change. 

If your password expires, you can easily reset it at http://netid.usf.edu.  Changing or resetting your password is quick and effective immediately upon change.

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Password Restrictions

(including how long before your password expires)

The following restrictions will apply to all normal, name-based NetID accounts:

Password Property
Value/Rule
Maximum duration (before password expires)
starting August 12, 2009		 180 days since last change or reset
Days warning before expiration 30
Warning page auto-redirects after few seconds No – Force user to click “Update password” or “Ignore”
May change password via web self-service before it expires) Yes, https://netid.usf.edu
Grace period (#of times old password will be accepted) after password has expired None
May reset password via web self-service (after it expires) Yes, https://netid.usf.edu
May reset via call or fax (versus “physical proofing” by a designated USF employee) to HelpDesk No
History / Reusability – New one cannot match any of this many previously recorded ones 10
Minimum length 8
Maximum length 132
Complexity / Strength New passwords must score sufficiently high against a list of password strength library of over 75,000 common passwords. The score increases as you include numbers, mixed-case, special characters, or increase the length.
Please note: A “Password Strength” meter will be displayed as part of the online NetID set or reset functionality, and that meter must read at least “Good” before the new password will be accepted.
Display of a user-selected phrase and image to validate it’s our system requesting their password and not a phishing scam)
Not yet
Maximum failed login attempts (which can be used by to combat “brute force” attacks)
  1. From the same IP address (which CAS knows) before that IP-address is “locked”
  2. Against the same account (which LDAP knows) before that account is “locked”
  1. 100 per minute
  2. 100 per hour
Failed-login lockout duration Permanent, unless manually reset

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Changing a NetID

  • Changing a NetID (e.g. ‘jdoe’ to ‘jsmith’) is strongly discouraged due to the effect on services/applications that use that value as the account name for each person (e.g. Google, PeopleAdmin).
  • Normally, “changing” a NetID actually creates a new NetID for the same identity and preserves “old” one too. The person can then login with either NetID value with the same password, depending on which NetID(s) the service they are connecting to allows.
  • If specifically requested, the old NetID can be removed; however, the person risks:
  • “orphaning” data (under the old NetID) in services that cannot rename accounts, e.g. GoogleApps. Please be sure to move your Gmail and any GoogleDocs.
  • “orphaning” transactions (started under the old NetID), especially in services using workflow, e.g. PeopleAdmin / Careers@USF, Blackboard.
  • As the windows domains (e.g. fastmail) are consolidated, Windows-IDs will match the NetID, so requests to change a NetID will also change corresponding Windows-ID.
  • Requests for changes to one’s NetID are to be submitted to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , including:
  • Supporting evidence of one of the following:
  1. Name-change in OASIS, if student, or GEMS, if employee
  2. Extraordinary circumstance
  • Acceptance of the responsibility for determining and coordinating any account changes in each of the USF services/applications accessed via the NetID value, e.g. Windows-Domain, MS-Exchange, GoogleApps, Parking. PLEASE NOTE: Failure to coordinate the change with a service-provider can lead to loss of access and/or data (associated with the previous NetID).
  • Allow 7-10 days for a response – either confirmation that the NetID was/will-be changed, or a rejection of the request.
  1. NetID name changes may be approved but not done during peak processing times, as determined by the IT-Security staff.

Reusing a NetID

Reuse/reassignment of another person’s NetIDs is strongly discouraged and rarely done due to the potential effect on services/applications that may have legacy data/permissions associated with the previous person who owned that NetID.

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