Password content controls and reuse

The IBM Netezza Appliance and IBM Netezza Appliance system use pam_cracklib utilities to enforce database user account passwords, which provides a strong set of rules to help users avoid weaker or more easily guessed passwords.

You can configure system-wide policies for the minimum requirements for password length and content. These system-wide controls do not apply to the default admin database user, only to the other database user accounts that you create. You can also tailor the pam_cracklib dictionary to establish policies within your Netezza Performance Server environment. The pam_cracklib dictionary does not allow common words, passwords that are based on user names, password reversal, and other shortcuts that can make passwords more vulnerable to hacking.

You can also configure the Netezza Performance Server system to check for and enforce new passwords that do not match a specified number of previous passwords for that account.