Password Strength on ESW2-550X Switch

Objective

The password strength for users on ESW2-550X Switches can be configured manually if the default password strength settings are not satisfactory. The password to access the device can be custom modified to a different level of complexity. This can be done by varying few field values like the length, number of character classes, etc. This article explains how to configure password strength settings on ESW2-550X switches. 

Applicable Devices

• ESW2-550X-48DC-R
• ESW2-550X-48-R

Software Version

• v1.2.9.44

Password Strength Settings

Step 1. Log in to web configuration utility of the switch and choose Security > Password Strength. The Password Strength page opens:

Step 2. Password aging is a specific amount of time period for the password to be valid after which it expires and must be reset. To allow aging of the password, check Enable in the Password Aging field.

Step 3. Enter the number of days for which the password should be active before prompting the user for change of password. The default value is 180.

Step 4. Check Enable in the password complexity settings field to improve password strength. This option enables to configure the password with the mix and match of numbers, alphabets and special characters together. To configure the password the minimal number of each required to create the password.

Note: If the Password Complexity Settings field is enabled in Step 4, follow the steps from 5 to 8. Otherwise, skip to Step 9.

Step 5. Enter a value between 0 and 64 in the Minimal Password Length field to set the minimal number of characters for the password. The default value is 8.

Step 6. Enter the number of characters that can be repetitive in the password in the Allowed Character Repetition field.

Step 7. Enter a value between 0 and 4 in the Minimal Number of Character Classes field to set the minimal number of character classes. A maximum of four distinct character classes can be enforced for the passwords which are upper case, lower case, numerical and special characters.

Step 8. To make sure new password must be different from the current password, check Enable in The New Password Must Be Different Than the Current One field.

Step 9. Click Apply to save the settings or click Cancel to revert to the old configuration.