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Considering Additional Security Issues
You should also turn on encryption for the Administration Server. If you don't use
an SSL connection for administration, then you should be cautious when
performing remote server administration over an unsecure network. Anyone could
intercept your administrative password and reconfigure your servers.
Choosing Solid Passwords
You use a number of passwords with your server: the administrative password, the
private key password, database passwords, and so on. Your administrative
password is the most important password of all, since anyone with that password
can configure any and all servers on your computer. Your private key password is
next most important. If someone gets your private key and your private key
password, they can create a fake server that appears to be yours, or intercept and
change communications to and from your server.
A good password is one you'll remember but others won't guess. For example, you
could remember MCi12!mo as "My Child is 12 months old!" A bad password is
your child's name or birthdate.
Creating Hard-to-Crack Passwords
There are some simple guidelines that will help you create a stronger password.
It is not necessary to incorporate all of the following rules in one password, but the
more of the rules you use, the better your chances of making your password hard
to crack:
•
Passwords should be 6-14 characters long. (Mac passwords cannot be longer
than 8 characters)
•
Do not use the "illegal" characters: *, ", or spaces
•
Do not use dictionary words (any language)
•
Do not make common letter substitutions, like replacing E with 3, or L with 1
•
Include characters from as many of these classes as possible:
130
Netscape Enterprise Server Administrator's Guide • November 2001
Uppercase letters
Lowercase letters
Numbers
Symbols
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