Currently, no web-based tools exist to allow administrators to create accounts or users to change their account information. Users can change their passwords by connecting to one of the timesharing services and entering a command. Additional user information can be changed by either a telnet session to directory.pitt.edu or running wpi in Unix. There is no consistent interface for changing information on an account.
Some information is changed in one location while other information is changed somewhere else.
For example, passwords are changed when logged into the Unix or VMS timesharing services, but preferred e-mail address is set when running wpi in Unix. All account management is performed over clear-text connections. This allows someone with unauthorized access to view this information while it is in transit. In the proposed web-based administration system, a user will connect to an accounts management web page to perform any account management functions. All functions will be accessible from this page.