Self Service Password Reset Solution For Enterprise Domains
By: Jamal Acosta
Submitted: 2010-10-24 02:01:47 | Word Count: 544
One of the primary yet repetitive tasks of the IT help desk in corporate offices is to help out users with password problems in their accounts. The use of self service password reset application can reduce the load of queries to a great extent by allowing users to set up their own password changes in the active directory. The entire process is handled by stable software equipped with a two phase authentication system to preserve the security and privacy of the user. The enrollment and confirmations are all managed by the application in order to provide a dynamic working environment without any hassles.
The most important part of password management comes in the form of security and prevention of breaches. The password management system of the application has an embedded two phase authentication protocol to execute a proper reset. Along with the normal answers to security questions, a user attempting to change the password must also enter a unique security code found in special cards issued to them. These cards come in 500 micron plastic form for easy storage purposes and contain a total of three security codes in scratch tag. Each code is unique and required for the password reset process in the system to be successfully activated and confirmed.
[ advertisement ]
This form of authentication allows enterprises to follow a more robust security as simply guessing the personal answers for the questions would not be enough to hack into a given account. The application itself has several flexible forms of deployment. It can be used on LAN networks as a shared file and the shortcut of the executable can be placed on the user desktop of the workstation. The user interface is clean and precise so that there are no confusions regarding the procedure of change. The IT desk can simply keep a track of the password reset management cards for a list of user changes.
Developing on the concept of incorrect password entries, a user is allowed to enter the password reset code three times. After the third failure, the password management system automatically detects a security breach and goes into generic lock down mode for the user account. An email is also sent to the help desk regarding the details of the attempt. The concerned user can now contact the help desk who can recover the account and allow the user to continue with the password reset procedure. The entire process is coherent and extremely fast to reduce needless complications and confusions.
Administrators can use the admin executable to set up a variety of functions including user accounts, number and type of security questions and the help desk details in case of failed attempts. The application stores answers to the questions in hash tags and not in cleartext form. This is a procedure often used as a form of maintaining privacy so that the answers are not seen even by the administrators. Several corporate houses have adapted their user accounts with such self service password reset applications for an efficient and secure workstation management for the end user.
