Frequency of password changes and security

From: G*rd*n (gcf@panix.com)
Date: 01/29/03

  • Next message: all mail refused: "Re: Frequency of password changes and security" 
    From: gcf@panix.com (G*rd*n)
Date: 29 Jan 2003 13:06:34 -0500

    Is there any empirical data on the relation of frequency of
    password change to security? Common wisdom derived from
    Google searches seems to be that frequent password change,
    because it deprives attackers of the value of information
    obtained in the past, is a good idea. However, frequent
    password change also means that people are more likely to
    choose easily cracked passwords like common names (because
    of the difficulty of memorizing numerous passwords), and to
    display and pass them around in the clear (as by writing
    them down on a postit and sticking it to one's computer
    monitor). It does not seem like an open-and-shut case to
    me at all. And in an hour's of looking through web sites
    and old news articles, I haven't come across an actual test
    of the theory, or any other empirical backing.

    The sort of thing I am talking about is traditional Unix-
    style login passwords in an environment where one cannot
    confidently assume that the incoming calls are restricted to
    a known set of users (e.g. the people at a certain company,
    etc.) 

    -- 
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