Hello,
Password Complexity
Passwords, by default, can include any combination of characters;
passwords can also be blank. Microsoft recommends that you require the use
of complex passwords to help ensure that passwords provide the best
security possible. These complex passwords are much more resistant to
attack than blank or simple passwords.
To enforce password complexity in your organization, you can enable the
Password must meet complexity requirements security setting. The complexity
requirements enforced by this setting are stored in Passfilt.dll.
In Windows 2000 operating systems and later, Passfilt.dll is built into the
operating system.
In Windows NT Server 4.0, you must add the Passfilt.dll file to the
operating system to achieve the same results. Passfilt.dll is included in
Windows NT Server 4.0 Service Pack 2 and in later service packs.
By default, complex passwords enforced by Passfilt.dll have the following
properties:
· Do not contain all or part of the user's account name.
· Contain characters from three of the following four categories:
· English uppercase characters (A through Z).
· English lowercase characters (a through z).
· Base-10 digits (0 through 9).
· Non-alphanumeric (for example, !, $, #, %). extended ASCII, symbolic, or
linguistic characters.
Note Depending on your environment, using extended ASCII, symbolic, or
linguistic characters in passwords can have unexpected results. It is
highly recommended that you test these characters before using them in
production.
When implementing this policy, it is recommended to inform your users of
the change in policy so that a smooth transition can take place from a
simple password
to a complex password. Otherwise, users may be confused by the new password
criteria and circumvent security to avoid the difficulty.
You can create and register your own custom password filter if you want to
modify the complexity requirements enforced in the security setting. For
information about
how to create a Passfilt.dll file, see "Password Filters" on the MSDN Web
site|
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/security/security/password_filt
ers.asp.
225230 Enabling Strong Password Functionality in Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=225230
Thank You.
Diana.
(e-mail address removed)
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
