User name/password length?

Subject: User name/password length?
From: Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Sat, 03 Jul 2004 10:33:08 -0400


Nina Rogers wondered: <<Usually, when I instruct a user to enter their user name and password, I tell them whether the system is case-sensitive, whether it accepts numbers and/or letters, what the minimum and maximum length for such words are, etc.>>

All good ideas. The more explicit you can be, the better. (Assuming you don't create a lengthy tome on cryptography that nobody will read <g>) An example of simple but useful guidelines:

Valid passwords must:
- contain at least 6 characters but no more than 50
- contain a combination of letters and numbers [or "any of the following symbols", followed by a list]
- Note: passwords are case sensitive ("A" is not the same as "a"), and must not contain the following keyboard characters [list]

That covers most situations, and is a good start for writing your own docs. Hopefully the password definition utility will parse the passwords to ensure they meet the specified criteria; if you can find out how the parser works (what it checks for), this forms the basis for your list of instructions.

<<If the maximum length for a password is 50 characters, do I need to state this in the documentation?>>

Yes. One relatively common strategy for creating memorable passwords is to use a memorable quote ("To be or not to be...") rather than a single word, and such quotes can easily run longer than 50 words. (I have to say I can't imagine wanting to use a password that would take that long to type, but different strokes...)

<<I am inclined to include it--not because I think anyone would ever want a 50+ character password, but because this is a combined user/administrator guide ... and, well, because it's not stated anywhere else.>>

If this guide will be used by administrators, it's useful information.

--Geoff Hart ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca
(try geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com if you don't get a reply)


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References:
User name/password length: From: Nina rogers

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