Is Mandatory Frequent Password Changing at Universities Effective or Overkill?

[Pengwuino]

Pengwuino;

If you have friends in the IT Dept they can reset your pwd to what you prefer for you.
Don't ask how I know this... hehehe

This is nonsensical. People in IT Departments have no friends.

 

[Pengwuino]

The passwords on the computer system I use are pretty sophisticated.

1. The password has to be at least 37 characters long and the number of characters has to be a prime number.
.
.
.
17. When logging on, you have 3 attempts to type your password in correctly. Typing in your password incorrectly 3 times will result in the entire system shutting down in a security lock down. You will need to read the installation computer security regulations in their entirety and pass a 100 question multiple question on-line test before being issued a new password. Logging in incorrectly 3 times and bringing the system to a halt twice in a 721 day period will result in termination of employment, along with expungement of all past and present passwords from your memory.

So basically, your entire company uses pencil and paper?

 

[turbo]

This is nonsensical. People in IT Departments have no friends.

I WAS the IT department of a very large multi-location ophthalmic practice. I had friends. Some people got ticked off at me when I enforced company policy on software, personal use, etc, but they all cozied right up when I was the only one available to get their PCs running right again and they were on deadlines.

 

[Pengwuino]

I WAS the IT department of a very large multi-location ophthalmic practice. I had friends. Some people got ticked off at me when I enforced company policy on software, personal use, etc, but they all cozied right up when I was the only one available to get their PCs running right again and they were on deadlines.

1 person department? Doesn't count! :P

 

[turbo]

Yep. We had offices in 6 towns and cities, interconnected with dedicated lines. Two of the offices had only one ophthalmologist on staff - the larger offices had maybe 8-10 docs, along with some optometrists, opticians, medical assistants and large clerical staffs. For IT, I was the only game in town(s).

 

[Moonbear]

Our IT requires those sorts of frequent password changes too. I also do as Ivan suggests, and just keep changing a number in the password sequentially, except on the account that only uses a 6 character password...EXACTLY. That one is annoying...not 6 to 8, not at least 6, but exactly 6. I'm starting to run out of ideas for that one.

I like CSFITSUCKS! as a password though...I may need to adapt that one locally on the account that I always have to call for password resets on. As if the IT people don't hate me enough already.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

When I worked at Brooks College we had to change our passwords every few months too. Fortunately the IT department never wanted to have to deal with anything that they had not decided to do themselves so they made it easy on us and we could switch back and forth between two passwords.

I like the idea of a small RFID device implanted in the hand, which will allow you to log onto the companies computers. Each one has its own profile, and the IT people can set it up as to what your access is.

It would have to be a device instead of just a tag. The code would likely need to be changed frequently unless they have figured out a way to keep third parties from scanning tags.