topic increasing complexity of login passwords in Operating System - OpenVMS

increasing complexity of login passwords

sandyt — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:15:19 GMT

Using openvms 7.3-2 on an alpha server.

We want to require more complex passwords than what we have currently setup, but don't want to use genpwd -- i.e. something that would forbid "easy to guess passwords" such as "112233" or "asdf12" (which appear to be O.K. as far as the pwddic is concerned).

Any pointers/links will be appreciated.

Thanks

Re: increasing complexity of login passwords

Duncan Morris — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:40:41 GMT

Sandyt,

you can set up your own password policy checker.

See the excellent write up and links from Steve Hoffman at

http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/643

Duncan

Re: increasing complexity of login passwords

Joseph Huber_1 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:02:49 GMT

As Duncan wrote, You can add your own password policy module.
Or simpler you can add your easy to guess passwords to the password dictionary.
And I question why "asdf12" is easier to guess than any other 6 character password. As a first action I would require at least 8 character passwords.

Re: increasing complexity of login passwords

sandyt — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:02:08 GMT

Thanks for the quick response.

You are correct that increasing password length would help, but at the moment I can only "tweak" existing policy.

I will try the macro32 password policy.

As a stop-gap, are there maybe any "improved" password dictionary additions that are available to download?

Thanks

Re: increasing complexity of login passwords

Joseph Huber_1 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:30:10 GMT

Maybe a search for "password dictionary file" will find some.
Also password security checker programs like JohnTheRipper contain dictionary files, especially those frequently used by cracker programs.
( http://www.openwall.com/john/ )

To add dictionaries to the VMS dictionay file, see the following files at
http://wwwvms.mppmu.mpg.de/vms$common/sysmgr/

ADD_PASSWORD_DICTIONARY.COM
convert_list_to_password_dictionary.com
merge_password_dictionary.com

The convert_list... procedure converts a text-file with one password per line into a VMS formatted (ISAM) file, which then can be merged into a VMS dictionary file.

Re: increasing complexity of login passwords

Hoff — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:33:22 GMT

Follow the Passwords taxonomy around the site for more than you probably care on this topic:

http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/taxonomy/term/112

Articles include John The Ripper and other brute-force attacks, dictionary updates, generated passwords, no-password logins, certificates, Kerberos and single-signon, the aforementioned password filter, etc.