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RPW—View and Modify the Restricted Password List

Valid on z/OS and z/VM.

Use the RPW control option to view and modify the restricted password list, which contains entries that cannot be used as new passwords. Viewing and modifying this list allows a site to manage passwords and prevent the use of obvious passwords (such as company names, titles, months, and names). Mixed-case passwords are temporarily transformed to uppercase before being checked against the RPW entries.

The restricted password list is loaded initially at startup but can be modified anytime. The list is not rebuilt other than from a reinitialization of CA Top Secret. CA Top Secret provides 33 default entries in the list but allows a maximum of 511 entries.

Note: The restricted password list is in effect only for new passwords that are entered while the NEWPW(RS) control option is in effect.

All entry methods are accepted. The RPW control option is protected by the operator accountability feature. CA Top Secret prompts the person entering the command for the authorized ACID/password combination before processing the command.

This control option has the following format:

RPW(LIST)|(RESET)|(ADD,password_entry,...)|(REMOVE,password_entry,..)
LIST

Displays the contents of the restricted password list.

RESET

Removes all entries from the restricted password list (including the product defaults). After the RESET option clears all password restrictions, the 33 default entries can be recovered only by manual RPW(ADD,…) or automatically by a reinitialization of CA Top Secret.

ADD

Adds one or more entries to the restricted password list.

password_entry

Specifies a one‑ to seven‑character password entry.

REMOVE

Removes one or more entries from the restricted password list.

Default entries in the restricted password list are as follows:

APPL APR ASDF AUG BASIC CADAM

DEC DEMO FEB FOCUS GAME IBM

JAN JUL JUN LOG MAR MAY

NET NEW NOV OCT PASS ROS

SEP SIGN SYS TEST TSO VALID

VTAM XXX 1234

Example: Add Passwords to the Restricted Password List

This example adds entries to the restricted password list:

F TSS,RPW(ADD,STAFF1,BATMAN,MYPASSW,MGRPASS)

The entries represent new passwords that CA Top Secret will not accept from users. Any users who currently use these passwords will function normally.

Example: Remove a Password from the Restricted Password List

This example removes a password from the restricted password list:

F TSS,RPW(REMOVE,BATMAN)

BATMAN may now be selected as a new password.

Example: Display the Contents of the Restricted Password List

This example lists the current contents of the restricted password list:

TSS MODIFY(RPW (LIST))
IBM     TEST    SYS     LOG     SIGN    TSO   
PASS    NEW     VTAM    NET     APPL    ROS   
BASIC   FOCUS  CADAM   VALID   DEMO    GAME  
JAN     FEB     MAR     APR     MAY     JUN   
JUL     AUG     SEP     OCT     NOV     DEC   
XXX     ASDF    1234    STAFF1  BATMAN  MYPASSW
MGRPASS                                       
MODIFY   FUNCTION SUCCESSFUL

Example: Reset the Restricted Password List

This example removes all restricted passwords entries (including the product defaults) and restores the product defaults at the next REINIT of CA Top Secret:

TSS MODIFY RPW(RESET)