Enterprise Password Management

Passwords, passwords everywhere

We are living in the age of Information Technology and computers. Most of the things we get done by a click of a mouse.  At the personal level, we need to remember a lot of passwords - right from Email passwords, bank PIN numbers, logins for travel booking and so on.  If Samuel Taylor Coleridge were alive today, he would have probably rephrased his immortal lines "Water, water everywhere, ne any drop to drink" as "Passwords, passwords everywhere". 

At the Enterprise Level, the problem gets quite complex. There are servers, databases, switches, routers, firewalls and a whole lot of IT applications. Each application has its own 'administrative accounts', which are managed by IT and Network Administrators.

Administrators in enterprises follow their own way of managing their passwords. Some store the passwords in spreadsheets, some others in paper and so on. This naturally brings with it a security issues. Oflate, cyber-criminal activities across the globe have assumed such grave proportions that all organizations - big and small are exposed to security breaches and identity thefts.

Similarly, the threats by the insiders are becoming very high nowadays. When an administrator leaves the organization, he might be possessing a copy of the administrative passwords. If he he malicious intent, he might unleash a cyber-attack.

Administrative passwords give unlimited access to the users and if a hacker gets access to them, the very business of the enterprise would be in jeopardy. Effective and efficient password management alone is the solution to safeguard your IT resources.

There are quite a lot of enterprise password managers in the market. One such solution is ManageEngine Password Manager Pro from AdventNet. While offering all enterprise-class features, the solution is afforadle even to small enterprises. The pricing starts at US $ 495 ..

"Password Manager Pro is a trusted solution to securely store, access and administer shared administrative passwords. It enables IT managers to maintain a central repository of passwords, enforce standard password policies and control unauthorized user access to shared passwords. It also provides a complete record of 'who', 'what' and 'when' of password access," says the website of Password Manager Pro 

http://manageengine.adventnet.com/products/passwordmanagerpro/index.html

Take a look ... I will continue blogging about Password Management!

If you want to clear IAS, develop humility

# 2 TO CLEAR IAS, DEVELOP HUMILITY; DON'T BE ARROGANT

The surest way to failure in Civil Services Exam is 'I know everything' attitude. On the other hand, remaining humble could do wonders! Always keep in mind that you need to learn a lot. When interacting with others, always lend your ears. Don't boast about your qualification, preparation et al. Rather hear their experiences. Don't hesitate to say 'I don't know' if you do not know something. You will be able to learn a lot.

What you should not do during your journey towards IAS?

In my previous post, I had stated that I would be the best person to comment on the things one should not do during his/her journey towards IAS. I am not qualified to blabber on the 'DOs', but I can definitely tell on what you should not do since I have studied hard for the exam and lost selection.

From my personal experience and from the lives of the ones who failed to make it to the IAS, I can tell you a lot about the 'DONTs'. If you are preparing for the IAS, please take a note of these points. I will dwell on these topics in detail post after post.

#1 IF YOU ARE PREPARING FOR CIVIL SERVICES, NEVER LET YOUR FRIENDS & RELATIVES KNOW ABOUT IT

One of the commonest mistakes committed by the Civil Service Aspirants is that the moment they start preparing for the exam, they almost tom-tom it. In mu case, I dint intentionally do it, but it became almost like that.

I got a high-paying job in Singapore during my final year of Engineering. I took Civil Services Exam during that year. The employers asked me to execute a bond for 8 years. Since I strongly believed that I would clear the exam, I dint join the job. After my graduation, when my friends and relatives started asking what I was doing, I told them I was preparing for Civil Services. This reached far and wide and people started kidding as of I had become an IAS officer. It became a big embarrassment for me!

Mind you, when you prepare for the exam, just for fun sake people would call you with sobriquets such as 'collector sir'. You should not give room for any such things. Dont ever tell people that you are preparing for this exam.

The examination process is quite long and the results are unpredictable. Lot of factors such as your optional subject, number of vacancies, scaling method adopted by the UPSC could mar your chances, even if you have done the exam reasonably well.

When you face failures, people would start ridiculing you. It will become a great pressure and you will not be able to concentrate on your preparation for the next year's exam.

Thus, comes the Golden Rule: Dont tell others about the IAS dreams. Keep it secret. Let it be known only to you and your parents.

If your friends and relatives ask what you are doing, just tell them you are hunting for a job. Dont fall prey to false prestige!

The list of DONTs will continue in my next post!