Linux How To Set Password Rules and Policies

Summary

This Linux tutorial demonstrates how to set password rules for user accounts on a Linux system. The video starts by creating a user with a simple '123' password, then moves on to installing the 'libpam-pwquality' library to enforce stronger passwords. It guides viewers through editing the '/etc/pam.d/common-password' file to set minimum password length, require uppercase letters, lowercase letters, digits, and special characters. The tutorial shows how to apply these rules by attempting to change a user's password, illustrating the enforcement of the newly set criteria.

Takeaways

• 😀 The tutorial demonstrates how to set password rules in Linux to enhance security.
• 🛠️ The 'adduser' command is used to create a new user in Linux, but it allows weak passwords by default.
• 🔒 To enforce stronger passwords, a password quality check library must be installed, such as 'libpam-pwquality'.
• 📚 The '/etc/pam.d/common-password' file is where password rules can be configured in Debian-based systems.
• ✏️ Editing the 'common-password' file with root privileges allows setting various password requirements.
• 🔡 The minimum password length can be set by adding 'minlen' followed by the desired number of characters.
• 🔑 The 'ucredit', 'lcredit', 'dcredit', and 'ocredit' options can be used to enforce the inclusion of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, digits, and special characters, respectively.
• 🚫 The script shows that passwords not meeting the new rules will be rejected, prompting users to create stronger passwords.
• 🔄 After making changes to the 'common-password' file, the system will reflect these rules for new passwords.
• 🔄 The tutorial suggests that users can experiment with different options to create a customized set of password rules.
• 🙏 The presenter expresses gratitude for viewing the tutorial and hopes it was informative.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the tutorial?

The purpose of the tutorial is to demonstrate how to set password rules in Linux to enhance security by adding complexity to user passwords.

What command is used to create a new user in Linux?

The command used to create a new user in Linux is 'adduser', which should be executed with root privileges.

Why is the initial password '1 2 3' considered weak?

The initial password '1 2 3' is considered weak because it lacks complexity, being a simple sequence of numbers without any uppercase, lowercase, or special characters.

What is the 'libpam-pwquality' package and why is it needed?

The 'libpam-pwquality' package is a password quality check library used in Linux to enforce password rules. It is needed to set up and enforce password policies.

How can you install the 'libpam-pwquality' package on a Debian-based system?

You can install the 'libpam-pwquality' package on a Debian-based system using the command 'apt-get install libpam-pwquality' with updates.

What file needs to be edited to set password rules in Linux?

The file that needs to be edited to set password rules in Linux is '/etc/pam.d/common-password'.

What does the 'minlen' option do in the password rules configuration?

The 'minlen' option in the password rules configuration sets the minimum length requirement for passwords.

How can you enforce a password to have at least one uppercase character?

To enforce a password to have at least one uppercase character, you can add the option 'ucredit=-1' to the configuration line in the 'common-password' file.

What does the 'lcredit' option represent in the password rules?

The 'lcredit' option in the password rules represents the requirement for lowercase characters in a password.

How can you require a password to have at least one digit?

To require a password to have at least one digit, you can replace 'lcredit' with 'dcredit' and set it to '-1' in the configuration line.

What is the effect of adding 'ocredit=-1' to the password rules?

Adding 'ocredit=-1' to the password rules enforces the requirement for at least one special character in the password.