A) Passwords should be stored as an MD5 or an SHA1 hash -- and ideally hashed
with some other identifier (such as a User ID) to frustrate bulk password/hash
match.
B) A password reset request should generate and send via email a temporary
password with a short expiration.
C) Login with temporary password should require a new password to be chosen.
D) Not until this new password is chosen, should the original old password be
removed. Generation of a temporary password should not remove or prevent log in
under the old password.
E) (Optional) Add ability to disable reset password feature and/or store PGP
email keys for sending encrypted email.
F) All account authentication events (login success/login failure/password
reset/change password) should log IP address (and user agent string if
web-based).
This is all pretty standard, but it's amazing the sites that screw it up.
Adam
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