Security Management Guide (G06.24+, H06.03+)

Concerns for the User
Security Management Guide—522283-008
5-2
Changing Your Password
When the Safeguard software controls the logon dialog, a security event-exit process
can also participate in the logon procedure. This process allows a custom dialog to
occur at your terminal.
For more information about the logon dialog, see the Safeguard User’s Guide.
Blind Logon
Depending on how your system is configured, the TACL command interpreter might
require you to enter your password on a different line from your user name (or user ID).
The password is not displayed on most terminals. This feature is called blind logon. To
use this feature, press RETURN after you enter your user name. You are then
prompted to enter your password on the next line, as the following example shows:
TACL 1> LOGON SALES.ROBINcr
Password:
The cr represents the Return character.
Always use this option if you log on at a TACL prompt.
Blind logon is required if the Safeguard BLINDLOGON configuration attribute is set to
ON. In addition, you are required to identify by user name instead of user ID if the
Safeguard NAMELOGON configuration attribute is set to ON.
If your application does not have a blind logon feature, do not allow anyone to see your
screen while your password is displayed. If possible, erase the screen after you log on.
If you use a hard-copy terminal, physically destroy any trace of your password.
Changing Your Password
If you have access to a TACL prompt, use the PASSWORD command to change the
password. For example, this command will change the current password to “misteak.”
1> PASSWORD misteak
Use the PWCONFIG utility to change the password configuration. For more
information, see PWCONFIG Utility
on page 2-14.
If the Safeguard software is running on your system, you can change the password
during login. For more information about logon dialog, see the Safeguard User’s
Guide.
Choosing a Good Password
The best password is hard to guess and easy to remember. Avoid words that appear in
the dictionary. Do not choose words that is easily associated with you, like your
nickname, street name, or your car model. Passwords should not exceed eight
characters with a mixture of uppercase and lowercase characters.
Your organization might require you to choose passwords according to specific rules
and might enforce time limits on how long you can use a password without changing it.