IBM 8215 User Guide - Page 44

Password considerations A password can be any combination of up to twelve characters (a-z and 0-9) and symbols. For security reasons, it is a good idea to use a strong password that cannot be easily compromised. Strong passwords typically adhere to the following rules: v Have at least eight characters in length v Contain at least one alphabetic character, one numeric character, and one symbol v Contain at least one of the following symbols v You can also use the space bar v Setup Utility program and hard disk drive passwords are not case sensitive v Not be your name or your user name v Not be a common word or a common name v Be significantly different from your previous password If you are setting any of the various types of passwords on your computer, you should read and understand the following information: v If you type an incorrect password, you will see an error message. If you type an incorrect password three consecutive times, you must turn the computer off and start again. v If you set both a User Password and an IDE Drive User Password to the same string, you will be prompted for the password only once when you turn on your computer. v Do not move an IDE hard disk drive to another computer if an IDE Drive User Password has been set unless that computer also supports the IDE Drive User password. v If your computer is connected to a local area network (LAN), the Wake on LAN feature will not work unless both a User Password and an IDE Drive User Password are set using the same password. User Password When a User Password is set, the user is prompted to type a valid password each time the computer is turned on. The computer cannot be used until a valid password is typed from the keyboard. Administrator Password Setting an Administrator Password deters unauthorized persons from changing configuration settings. If you are responsible for maintaining the settings of several computers, you might want to set an Administrator Password. After you set an Administrator Password, a password prompt is displayed each time you try to access the Setup Utility program. If both the user and administrator passwords are set, you can type either password. However, to change any configuration settings, you must use your administrator password. IDE Drive User Password The IDE Drive User Password is used to protect the data on the IDE hard disk drive(s). When this password is set, you are prompted to type a valid password 28 User Guide