As of July 2023, we use Okta to manage passwords and MFA (multi-factor authentication) factors. This article will show you two ways to change your SOU password through Okta:
By using Okta’s self-service password recovery feature (i.e. “forgot my password”)
By signing in to your Okta account and changing your password through your account settings page.
If you ever require assistance with either of these methods, please call our IT Helpdesk at 541-552-6900.
Self-service password reset is only available to users who have configured MFA on their SOU Okta account. To learn how to configure MFA on your SOU account in Okta, see our companion article All About MFA Factors in Okta.
If you don’t know your password and you are unable to perform self-service password recovery, you must call our IT Helpdesk at 541-552-6900 for assistance.
All passwords must conform to SOU’s password policy, which will be displayed to you whenever Okta prompts you to set a new password. In addition to the rules that Okta mentions on the screen, there are some other restrictions you should know about in case they cause Okta to reject your new password.
Passwords must not be weak in the sense that they might be found on a list of common, easily-hacked passwords (examples at Wikipedia). Okta’s exact list of forbidden weak passwords is a trade secret that they do not share with anyone. SOU IT is unable to tell you whether your password meets Okta’s criteria for being too common, and we don’t want you revealing your password ideas to us anyway!
Self-Service Password Recovery
Use this option when you don’t know your password.
Requirements
You must have access to you sou.edu email through an always-connected mail app on your phone or another device (e.g. GMail app) OR you must have configured a personal email address as a secondary email address on your Okta profile.
You must have at least one MFA factor registered on your Okta account, such as Okta Verify, a phone number to receive one-time codes, or a supported hardware token. To learn how to configure MFA on your SOU account in Okta, see our companion article All About MFA Factors in Okta.
When you initiate a password reset, Okta will send a verification email to both your primary email (@sou.edu) and your secondary email if you registered a secondary email on your account. You have a limited amount of time to access that email and click on the recovery link within it. After you click on the recovery link, proving that you control the email account, you will be prompted to complete MFA to finish verifying your identity. That means you’ll need to use one of your configured MFA factors (Okta Verify, phone, or hardware token) to prove that you really are who you say you are.
After you have provided proof of identity using your configured MFA factor, Okta will prompt you to set a new password on your account that conforms to our password policy, which will be displayed on the screen.
If you get stuck during the Self-Service Password Recovery process at any point, call our IT Helpdesk at 541-552-6900 so that we can assist you.
Updating Your Password through Your Okta Settings
Use this option if you know your password and want to update it.
Requirements
You know your password and you are able to log in to your Okta account at https://okta.sou.edu
Follow these steps to update your Okta password:
Log in to your Okta account at https://okta.sou.edu
Click your name in the top-right corner of the screen, then click Settings in the dropdown menu to access your Account screen. (See the screenshot below for guidance.)
On the Account screen, you will find the Change Password box at the top on the right where it is easy to locate.
Enter your current password where prompted, then enter you new password, confirm it, and click Change Password when you are ready to update the password.
Our password policy will be displayed in the Change Password box to help guide you through creating a strong password that meets SOU’s security requirements.
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