Account recovery options for VT Usernames (previously known as PIDs) provide a secure, effective, and easy way to recover access if you have forgotten your password. Before you may need the service, you should establish a personalized mechanism for resetting your VT Username password by:
Establishing these options includes a test of the option (phone number, Google, or Yahoo! account). Your number will not be used for other services unless you have given permission elsewhere. Carrier charges may apply for receiving text messages. When selecting recovery options, you will also be asked to enter an email address where a notification can be sent to you whenever your password is reset.
These account recovery options service uses a protocol called OpenID to prove that you are who you say you are when resetting your password to recover your account. Google and Yahoo! accounts are OpenID-enabled by default. There is nothing you need to set up ahead of time, and these accounts implement OpenID in a secure manner.
Your Google or Yahoo! password will not be shared with the account recovery options service. You are only allowing the account recovery options service to know that you successfully logged in to your Google or Yahoo! account and how you are identified by Google or Yahoo! This identifier is stored in the form of an OpenID URL that is unique to the Virginia Tech account recovery options service of Virginia Tech. The account recovery options service will not ask for or store any Yahoo! or Google information other than your OpenID URL. The OpenID protocol does not use email to verify your identity.
You will need to review your account recovery settings on a yearly basis; if you have not managed your account recovery options in the past year, you will be prompted to review them. You can view your account recovery settings at any time by logging on to the VT Account Manager. If you change your phone number, remember to change your account recovery options accordingly.
Although you will continue to be able to use the option of calling 4Help, the account recovery option process is more secure and is intended to be more convenient. There may be special circumstances in which you may want to prevent password reset calls to 4Help, and this option can be disabled if you want.
Caution: Disabling all of the account recovery options requires you to appear in person at the Blacksburg campus. You can visit ITPALs during regular business hours , Monday – Friday 8a to 5p, or schedule an appointment with NI&S Customer Service.
You must present with appropriate identification to reset any forgotten password.
To reset your VT Username passphrase using account recovery options, follow the instructions at Reset VT Username (PID) Passphrase.
You will need to know both your VT Username and your VT ID number in order to reset your passphrase.
If you do not know your 9-digit ID number, you may enter just the last four digits of your Social Security Number.