Editor,
The new password policy implemented recently by ITS requiring users to change their password every six months is outmoded and will actually decrease security.
It may have been useful many years ago when people still used mainframes and there was actually a credible threat to the mainframe being hacked through a user account. Current systems, such as UNM's, do not use a Unix mainframe any longer.
If one user account is compromised, that infiltration will not allow access to a different user's account. Changing passwords every six months will actually decrease the security of user accounts.
When the average user is required to frequently change his or her password, it quite often results in the user choosing a simple password and then, at every change interval, adding a letter that is easily remembered. You see, people are generally not good at rememorizing new passwords every six months.
People are, however, good at remembering an often-used password, even if it is complicated. A better security strategy is to require a very strong password, but not to require frequent password resets.
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A strong password is one that is hard to guess or crack. It usually contains capital letters, numbers and various special symbols such as "#," "$" or "%."
ITS currently does not require any kind of strong password. What about implementing strong passwords and frequent password resets?
The problem with this strategy is human memory. It is difficult enough for most people to memorize a new, easily remembered password, much less a strong password with a bunch of numbers and special characters in it.
This is the most likely reason that ITS does not require strong passwords, because they would have a real mess on their hands if half of the student body couldn't remember their passwords after a required password reset.
ITS, you made the wrong decision and have decreased the security of our accounts by forcing us to reset our passwords every six months.
For more information about this subject, please look up Eugene Spafford at Purdue University.
Israel Vaughn
UNM student
