Patent ID: 7530097

Claim:
A method of controlling password changes in a system comprising: utilizing a central password policy manager for controlling the contents of passwords for a plurality of data processing systems, each data processing system having its own local password controller that compares user-provided information to its own password registry to locally confirm the identity and associated authorization of users attempting to log on to the corresponding data processing system, the central password policy manager controlling the contents of passwords by: receiving password change requests by the central password policy manager, wherein each password change request is received from across a network in response to the local password controller of an associated one of the data processing systems receiving a request for modification of a password that is stored in its password registry; utilizing the central password policy manager to check compliance of each of the password change requests received from the local password controllers based upon shared password content policies; and returning an indication of compliance for each password change request received by the central password policy manager, to a corresponding one of the local password controllers, wherein, each local password controller modifies its associated password registry if authorized based on a corresponding returned indication of compliance from the central password policy manager.