Description

A NetID service account is a CSU NetID that is owned by a department.

Most service accounts include a Microsoft 365 account (including Outlook for email, OneDrive for cloud storage, and other Microsoft Office applications), but some do not, including administrative service accounts.

Applicable to:

• Fort Collins and Pueblo staff and faculty
• CSU Microsoft 365/Exchange Resource Coordinators

Prerequisites

• The service account must have been created using these instructions: How to Request a NetID Service Account

Authorization

• NetID admins and service account requesters can view a list of all service accounts at Admin > Service Accounts.

• NetID service account requesters can also view their own service account requests, and edit their requests that have not yet been processed (with status "requested"), at the bottom of Admin > Service Account Request.

• NetID service account administrators can view the individual service accounts they manage at My Account > Service Accounts.

Instructions

Contents of This Section:

1. View and Manage Your Service Accounts
2. Change a Service Account Password
3. Sharing Service Account Passwords
4. View and Change Administrators
5. Password and Service Account Expiration and Notifications
6. Service Account Deactivation

View and Manage Your Service Accounts

1. Click Log In and log in with your primary NetID.

2. To list service accounts you manage, go to My Account > Service Accounts.
   

3. To manage or view full details of a service account, click the Service Account NetID in the left column of the table.
   

4. To update details of the service account, change editable fields Account Name and Account Description and click Save. (Other details can only be updated by NetID full admins.)

5. To change the password, click Change Password and see instructions below.

6. To view or change the service account's administrators, click Manage Admins and see instructions below.

Change a Service Account Password

1. If you are not the only administrator of the service account, communicate with the other administrators to determine who will create and share the new password.
2. Click Log In and log in with your primary NetID.
3. Go to My Account > Service Accounts.
4. Click the Service Account NetID in the left column of the table.
5. To change the password, click Change Password. You will be prompted for a new password for the service account.

Note: Only service account admins can change the password. (You cannot change the password by logging in to the NetID website with your service account NetID and password.)

Sharing Service Account Passwords

Secure: Share passwords verbally (in person or by phone), through encrypted email, or through a password manager.

Generally not secure: Unencrypted email, SMS text messages, plain text files, and instant messengers.

View and Change Administrators

Consider adding at least one person or group to serve as a secondary or backup administrator, such as your department's IT administrator or group, CSU Microsoft 365/Exchange Resource Coordinator or group, or department head.

1. Click Log In and log in with your primary NetID.
2. Go to My Account > Service Accounts.
3. Click the Service Account NetID in the left column of the table to view the service account details.
4. Click Manage Admins to view the service account admins.
   
   • To add an admin, type the person's NetID in the NetID of New Admin field and click Add Admin.
   • To add an IT admin group, select the group in the IT Admin Group drop-down list and click Add IT Admin Group.
   • To add a Microsoft 365/Exchange Resource Coordinator group, select the group in the Microsoft 365/Exchange Resource Coordinator drop-down list and click Add MS365 RC Group.
   • To remove admins, check one or more boxes in the Current Admins list and click Remove Selected Admins.

You can also edit the service account admins directly in the Grouper group (e.g. to add an unlisted group).

Contact the CSU IT Help Desk if you need a new IT Admin group to be used specifically for NetID service accounts in your college or department.

Password and Service Account Expiration and Notifications

CSU System's IT Security Policy requires annual password changes for all NetID accounts, including non-administrative service accounts. To retain access to your service account and prevent automatic deactivation, you must change the password at least every 12 months.

• Weekly email notifications from NetID@colostate.edu will be sent to the service account and all admins. The message will include the service account password expiration date.
• Expired service account passwords will be automatically reset a week after the expiration date (or a week after the first notification is sent, whichever is later).
• Non-administrative service accounts with expired passwords will be automatically deactivated 30 days after password expiration (or a week after the first expiration notification is sent, whichever is later).
• The Microsoft 365 account will be deactivated when the service account is deactivated and permanently removed 30 days later.

Service Account Deactivation

Thank you for considering deactivating your unused accounts to benefit yourself, CSU, and the environment.

1. If the service account has more than one administrator or user, or the associated email address was recently used, communicate the change and make sure that nobody still needs access.
2. Back up and/or transfer any needed information from the Microsoft 365 account.
3. Contact the CSU IT Help Desk to request deactivation of the service account.
4. The Microsoft 365 account will be deactivated when the service account is deactivated and permanently removed 30 days later.

Related Articles

• NetID Service Accounts
• How to Request a NetID Service Account