Security

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Password change frequency for services

0 helpful
1 reply

by mgrogan

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

I have a domain account set up to run the backup software service (because the backup software backs up several servers) and the password is set to not expire, since this always causes problems at password change time.

I personally feel that thisis a good system since the password is kept between only two people in the company, and changing it requires resetting the password on many different system services.

The big boss, however, feels that this password should be changed with the samefrequency as all the other passwords (once a month). This creates a lot of extra work, and often causes the backups to fail, which I then have to explain. My question is: is there any way to convince the boss that the password does not need to be changed so often, and that changing it inevitably causes problems? I've looked but cant find anything on the internet regarding this, any suggestions?

Thanks.

1 reply

by lordinfidel

Is your big boss in IT or is he just a mgr?

If he is in IT he should know better. If he is a mgr you can refute his argument.

For all service related accounts, they should always be set to a non-descriptive account (not backup, backup_exec, restore, BU, TS, etc)

And they should always be 14 charcter passwords in either geek or random characters.

ie. iamabiggeek = &1@M@b1G-g33k^

Service passwords typically should be changed once a year or when an Admin leaves.

These u/p's aretypically more secure then the average user's since they are only known by very few people and are not used as daily log on accounts.

This discussion is closed to new replies.