Which passwords/services will be impacted by this change?
This change applies to passwords associated with your StarID credentials, including services that leverage the Microsoft 365 login (e.g. starID@minnstate.edu or StarID@go.minnstate.edu.)
System-wide and local services impacted include, but are not limited to:
- Adobe
- D2L/Brightspace
- eServices
- Local device login
- Microsoft 365 (Outlook/email, Word, Copilot, Teams, etc.)
- Printing
- Wireless
- Workday
- Zoom
What accounts/passwords are not affected by this change?
If the StarID Self Service site manages the account password, the new password requirements are in scope. Those that will not be affected:
- Local application accounts
- Shared mailboxes
- Database accounts
- Third-party systems not integrated with StarID
What are the exact requirements for the new password in the new process?
- Be at least 15 characters in length and up to 128 characters in length.
- Include characters from at least three of the following four categories:
- Uppercase letters
- Lowercase letters
- Numbers
- Special characters
- Can not contain the user's StarID, first or last name.
- Can not match previously used passwords
When is the change taking place?
The updated StarID password requirements take effect on October 1, 2026.
The System Office intends to move forward as quickly as practical because the change is expected to have minimal immediate impact on users. Existing StarID passwords will remain valid; no immediate action is required, and users will encounter the new requirements only when they change or reset their password. Moving forward, this also supports upcoming identity-management initiatives and helps position Minnesota State to reduce reliance on routine password expiration.
Will users immediately notice a change once the change takes place?
No, most users will not notice any change when the new password policy takes effect. Existing StarID passwords will remain valid, and users will not be required to take any immediate action.
Users will encounter the new requirements only when they change or reset their StarID password. At that time, they will need to create a password that meets the updated standard, including the new minimum length and complexity requirements. Once a user successfully updates their password to meet the new requirements, they will no longer need to change it routinely unless there is a security concern, a password reset is required, or another circumstance necessitates a change.
Will there be any outage or other service impacts when the change takes place?
This change is not expected to cause any outages.
Once a user creates a compliant password, is the 180-day expiration immediately removed?
No. Users who update their StarID password to meet the new requirements will initially continue to have an expiration date associated with their account. At the end of the transition period, the System Office will work with campuses to remove routine password expiration requirements for compliant StarID accounts before users are affected by another scheduled password expiration.
As a result, users who update their password to meet the new standard should not expect another routine password change prompt once the transition is complete. The full transition is expected in Spring 2027.