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Typically 30% of the calls to the Help Desk
are related to passwords. This
sometimes approaches  80%
on Mondays and after holidays. Many
times the user has forgotten the password or has let it expire,
frequently on several operating systems or applications simultaneously.
The Help Desk operators must respond to
password requests by connecting to and typing command strings or
employing GUIs from diverse operating systems located on geographically
dispersed servers or mainframes. This
not only lengthens the call resolution time for each request, but it
also increases the training time required for new Help Desk personnel.
For the Help Desk to issue password commands
on most operating systems, some higher level access authority is usually
required. In many secure
environments, the Help desk is not afforded such elevated access, and
passwords are reset by more expensive network and security staff.
This not only cost more per call, but it can often delay the
password request call’s resolution for hours, resulting in even more
lost productivity through the lost of the end user’s time.
Help
Desk operators are often asked to reset accounts and synchronize the
passwords (i.e. set the same password)
on multiple diverse system, and the requestor cannot recall all
the operating systems and locations where he has Ids. The Help Desk
operator has no mechanism to locate the operating systems and locations
where the end user has a valid Ids, and must manually query each
platform.
Many Help Desks have no mechanism for
auditing password request activity. What’s
needed is a way to automatically log who unlocked an account or reset a
password for whom and when.
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