Security
Configuring TACACS+
Cisco 500 Series Stackable Managed Switch Administration Guide 432
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• Do not repeat or reverse the manufacturers name or any variant reached by 
changing the case of the characters.
STEP  4 If the Password Complexity Settings are enabled, the following parameters may 
be configured:
• Minimal Password Length—Enter the minimal number of characters 
required for passwords.
NOTE A zero-length password (no password) is allowed, and can still have 
password aging assigned to it.
• Allowed Character Repetition—Enter the number of times that a character 
can be repeated.
• Minimal Number of Character Classes—Enter the number of character 
classes which must be present in a password. Character classes are lower 
case (1), upper case (2), digits (3), and symbols or special characters (4).
• The New Password Must Be Different than the Current One—If selected, 
the new password cannot be the same as the current password upon a 
password change.
STEP  5 Click Apply. The password settings are written to the Running Configuration file.
NOTE Configuring the username-password equivalence, and manufacturer-password 
equivalence may be done through the CLI. See the CLI Reference Guide for further 
instruction.
Configuring TACACS+
An organization can establish a Terminal Access Controller Access Control 
System (TACACS+) server to provide centralized security for all of its devices. In 
this way, authentication and authorization can be handled on a single server for all 
devices in the organization.
The device can act as a TACACS+ client that uses the TACACS+ server for the 
following services:
• Authentication—Provides authentication of users logging onto the device 
by using usernames and user-defined passwords.