MSU Listserv


MSUNAG Archives

MSUNAG Archives


MSUNAG@LIST.MSU.EDU


View:

Message:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

By Topic:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

By Author:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

Font:

Proportional Font

LISTSERV at MSU

LISTSERV at MSU

MSUNAG Home

MSUNAG Home

MSUNAG  July 2009

MSUNAG July 2009

Subject:

Re: What are your password requirements - your input is appreciated

From:

STeve Andre' <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To:

STeve Andre' <[log in to unmask]>

Date:

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:39:52 -0400

Content-Type:

text/plain

Parts/Attachments:

Parts/Attachments

text/plain (62 lines)

On Thursday 30 July 2009 16:16:14 Charlot, Firmin wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> We are re-evaluating our password requirements and wondered what others
> are using on their network.
>
> For example:
>
> What is the required password length?
>
> Is complexity turned on?
> How often do people have to change their passwords?
>
> Can old passwords be recycled? If so, how old must they do?
>
> Any other requirements that you are using that are not mentioned above
> would helpful as well.
>
> Thanks.
>
>
>
> Firm.

I tell users to make long complex passwords of 16 characters, so as to
make it harder for windows pw crackers to work.

I DO NOT require any systems that I run to expire passwords.  It is
folly to do this: make people create new passwords when they don't
want to and they lose them, and far worse, post them on their
monitors so they remember them.  I've been to too many places
when I did a lot of consulting where I saw this, and it was really
scary, some of the accounts/systems that this happened on.

Instead I try to get people to focus on passwords that are weird
and specific to them, and won't be easily guessed.  So for example
the pw

       nittfagmtcttaitc

is from the phrase "now is the time for all good men to come to
the aid of their country".  I ask folks to think of a stanza from a
poem or a song and use some character of each word of it for
some great weird looking passwords.

I've always avoided using any system horrid enough to remember
old passwords, and its a wretched security risk.  That cache has
the passwords to other accounts that people use, in all likelyhood,
and if stolen represents a great security problem in and of itself.

I also try and explain how dangerous "public" systems are, and
how easily passwords can be sniffed, either in software, or hardware
keyloggers.  To help get around that problem I recommend that
people bring up an editor or notepad or anything that can take
text, and type one character in at the password prompt, then
one or more in the editor, then the next char in the password
prompt and so on, so the keylogger sees a lot of stuff where 
the actual pw is intermingled with other stuff.

I'm sure I have more but I'm frazzled right now.

--STeve Andre'

Top of Message | Previous Page | Permalink

Advanced Options


Options

Log In

Log In

Get Password

Get Password


Search Archives

Search Archives


Subscribe or Unsubscribe

Subscribe or Unsubscribe


Archives

December 2023
June 2023
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
December 2021
January 2019
August 2018
June 2018
May 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003
January 2003
December 2002
November 2002
September 2002
August 2002
July 2002
June 2002
May 2002
April 2002
March 2002
February 2002
January 2002
December 2001
November 2001
October 2001

ATOM RSS1 RSS2



LIST.MSU.EDU

CataList Email List Search Powered by the LISTSERV Email List Manager