Compromised Accounts – What to Expect and What to Do
This page explains what happens if your University of Warwick account is temporarily disabled for security reasons, and how to restore access.
Your University login account may be temporarily disabled if we detect a potential security risk. This action is taken to protect your account, your personal data, and University systems from unauthorised access.
In many cases, users are not aware that their login details may have been exposed. When we identify a credible risk, we act quickly and automatically to keep your account safe.
Why was my account disabled?
How long will this last?
What do I need to do?
Once your account is re‑enabled, you will need to reset your password before full access is restored.
Why We Disable Accounts
If someone gains access to your username and password, they may attempt to access emails, files, and other University services, or send phishing messages while appearing to be you.- Submitting login details to a fake website after clicking a phishing email.
- Reusing your University password on external websites that later suffer a breach.
- using weak or easily guessed passwords.
To reduce the risk of harm and prevent ongoing access, the Information Security Operations Team temporarily disables accounts where a compromise is suspected. This ensures that any unauthorised sessions are interrupted and cannot continue.
What to Expect
- Login access will be temporarily unavailable while security controls are refreshed.
- The issue may affect only your account or multiple accounts, depending on the incident.
- If many users are affected, updates may be sent by email or posted on the IDG Intranet.
- Your account will be re-enabled once it has been confirmed secure.
For security reasons, you will not regain full access until your password has been reset.
Restoring Your Access
Once your account is re‑enabled, you must reset your password to restore access. You can do this by:- Contacting the IDG Helpdesk via telephone on 024 7657 3737, or
- Following the University’s password reset guidance
You may also need to reset two‑step authentication on your devices.