Re: Need to generate passwords

On Thu, 24 Oct 2002 steven.ryan@denso.com.au wrote:
>
> With all due respect to those who have offered there suggestions on
> generating passwords, I think we need to reconsider the scenario of the
> original request.
>
> The original request was that new users be given a password, that would be
> changed by them to whatever they want the first time they sign in.  This is
> where the real problem lies.

That's not the way I read the original message.   Here's the message:

     Does anyone have a CL/RPG/COBOL solution to generate "random"
     passwords?  Auditing has a problem with me "assigning" an initial
     password (even if it is set to "*EXPIRED") and wants to
     programatically generate a password for each new user.

It says that he cannot assign an initial password, even if it is set to
*EXPIRED.   It does not say that the programatically generated password
would also be expired.

Even if he meant to say that the programatically generated password would
also be expiring, he did not ask us how to deal with whatever passwords
the users assigned -- his question was "does anyone have a CL/RPG/COBOL
solution to generate 'random' passwords?"

I agree with you that the administration of passwords is at least as
important as the technical aspects, and I think 95% of this thread so far
as been discussing the administrative aspects, not the technical aspects.

Incidentally, I dont think I've seen someone mention the various system
values that can be used to restrict what kinds of passwords can be
supplied...   Doing a WRKSYSVAL QPWD* gives all sorts of settings for
what kinds of passwords can be assigned.   Does anyone use these?  Do you
find them useful?