Apple Xserve Up Mac OS X Server Specifications download pdf (Page 134)

134 Chapter 8 Managing User and Group Accounts

Note: An Open Firmware password provides some protection, but it can be reset if a

user has physical access to the computer and can change the physical memory

configuration of the computer.

To set the Open Firmware password for increased security:

1 Boot the computer while holding Command-Option-O-F (all four keys at the same

time) to enter the Open Firmware command prompt.

2 At the prompt, enter the command:

> password

3 Enter and verify the password to be used as the Open Firmware password.

This password is limited to eight characters. Choose a strong password. In this instance,

a computer-generated random password is a good choice.

This password should be recorded and secured in the same location as the Master

FileVault password.

This password is not needed except when the computer must be booted from an

alternate disk, such as if the startup disk fails or its file system needs of repair.

4 To restart the computer and enable the settings, enter the command:

> reset-all

The computer should restart and display the login window.

Setting Password Policy

To adjust the password policies of your users, us the pwpolicy tool. You can use this

tool to:

Â View or set global password policies that force users to change passwords

Â Limit the number and type of characters in a password

Â Limit the length of time before passwords can be reused

Â Limit when passwords must be changed

For secure passwords, you should require every password to have a minimum of 5

characters. You can use a higher number of characters if you want a more secure

password. It is also good to have users change passwords frequently.

For more information, see the pwpolicy man page.

1 2 ... 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 ... 328 329

No comments

Apple Xserve Up Mac OS X Server Specifications Page 134