2.16 Password Management

Policy

All passwords in use at Home and Community Options, Inc., should conform to a specific set of guidelines as set forth in this policy. This will help to keep passwords safe and secure across the enterprise.

Procedure

All users must select a password conforming to the following guidelines:

• Passwords should be 8 or more characters.
• Passwords should not be the name of a pet, spouse, child, or parent.
• Passwords should be a word or sequence of letters and numbers that the user can remember but could not be easily guessed by even a close friend of the user.
• Passwords should never be written down.
• Passwords should never be given to other staff members.
• A new password should be selected every six months, and current or previous passwords should not be re-used.

The IT Department reviews password policies when a user first receives his or her user ID. The IT Department monitors password usage and identifies any patterns that suggest password policies and guidelines are not being followed.

The IT Department and program supervisor may require staff members who frequently lose or forget their passwords to complete retraining on the correct use of passwords.