Before meeting with the vendors, we were concerned that Stuff4U would have to change its provisioning practices and policies. All the responses indicated that this would not be necessary; the products can handle both role- and rule-based provisioning policies. In later discussions, Novell said that though Stuff4U wouldn't need to change processes in the first phase of implementation, it may become necessary as custom and legacy applications are integrated with the system. Our instincts told us this might be true across the board, but only Novell admitted this might be the case. If we had a "straight-talking vendor award," Novell would win it hands down.
Self-service, which provides quick ROI and great convenience, includes password resets, synchronization of passwords across systems and requesting additional resources. With more than 5,000 employees, Stuff4U desired a solution that would reduce password-related helpdesk calls.
Because self-service is generally offered via a Web-based interface, tight security is required. For each solution, we evaluated the mechanisms for ensuring that employees are identified and authenticated before being allowed to manipulate their passwords. All but Novell's solutions provide extensive mechanisms for managing this process. Employees who forget their passwords can be challenged through a series of questions from a supplied list containing queries such as "What was your childhood pet's name?"
Requiring correct answers to specific questions coupled with correct answers to a number of randomly chosen questions affords Stuff4U adequate security surrounding the employee-driven reset of a forgotten password. Novell says the next release will include this feature.
Policy Enforcement
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