System Administrator Scenarios › How to Manage Authentication › Configure General Password Options

Configure General Password Options

Configure password options to help ensure that unauthorized users cannot easily identify passwords. For example, you can set a rule that passwords have at least eight characters with at least has one capital letter and one numeric value.

Follow these steps:

1. Open Administration, and from General Settings, click System Options.
2. In the Change Password Options section, complete the requested information.

   The following fields require explanation:

   Password Rules

   Specifies two options: a simple password character limit or a custom expression that specifies upper and lowercase characters and numeric values.

   Minimum Password Length (characters)

   Defines the minimum number of characters a password can contain. If you change the setting, the product prompts users to change their passwords if they violate the new rule.

   Limits: 0-99

   Define Custom Expression

   Allows you to define an expression for a password. Select to enable the Regular Expression and the Error Message fields.

   Regular Expression

   Defines one or more of the following expressions to specify acceptable characters for the password:

   Values:

   • ^ —Indicates the beginning of the expression.
   • (?=.*[a-z])—Any lowercase alphanumeric characters are allowed.
   • (?=.*[A-Z])—Any uppercase alphanumeric characters are allowed.
   • (?=.*[~'!@#$%^&*)(-+=])—Any special characters are allowed.
   • .{n,n1}$—The required password length, where n indicates the minimum number of characters that are required and n1 the maximum. To indicate only the minimum length, omit the maximum number. To indicate only the maximum length, omit the minimum number. For example, enter .{8,}$ to specify a minimum eight-character password.
   • $—Indicates the end of the expression.

   Example: Set a rule that specifies a password can include any lower- or uppercase alphanumeric or special characters, and must be between 8-16 characters in length.

   ^ (?=.*[a-z]) (?=.*[A-Z]) (?=.*[~'!@#$%^&*)(-+=]) .{8,16}$

   Error Message

   Defines the message to display to users who do not enter properly formatted passwords.

   Example: "Invalid password; enter a valid password that has at least eight characters, one uppercase letter, and one number."

3. If all users must change their passwords, click Force Password.

   The product forces all users to change their password during the next login.

4. Save your changes.

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