> Source: [sk167594](https://support.checkpoint.com/results/sk/sk167594)

# sk167594 - Best Practices - Change the Default Admin Password

| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| Solution ID | sk167594 |
| Date Created | 2022-01-04 |
| Last Modified | 2022-07-28 |
| Technical Level | General |
| Products | Security Gateway, Security Management Server, Multi-Domain Security Management Server |
| Versions | R82.10, R82, R81.20, R82.10, R82, R81.20, R82.10, R82.20, R81.20, R82, R82.20 |
| OS | Gaia |

## Solution

Passwords are one of the most important security features used today. It is important for the administrator and all users to have secure passwords that are hard to guess. Having a strong password is the most important thing you can do to secure your account.

We recommend that you change the default password to increase security. Not doing so puts the client at risk of being hacked.

The process of changing a password in Gaia is very simple and we recommend you do so frequently for maximum security.

Here are some simple steps you can take to make your system more secure:

1. Change the admin default password.

   1. Change the admin password in clish:

      `HostName> set user admin password`

      `New password: <new_password>`

      `Verify new password: <new_password>`
   2. Save the configuration:

      `HostName> save config`
   3. Log out from the Gaia OS and log in again.

2. Log in to the WebUI as the admin user and run the First Time Configuration Wizard.

   The First Time Configuration Wizard makes sure the user updates the admin password.

**Additional secure tips**:

1. For added security, change the hashing algorithm to something other than MD5.

   `HostName> set password-controls password-hash-type <SHA256/SHA512>`
2. Enforce that the users must change their passwords during the next login.

   `HostName> set user VALUE force-password-change <yes/no>`
3. Set these other parameters:

   `HostName> set password-controls`

   |         Parameter         |                                    Description                                    |
   |---------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
   | `complexity `             | Set the required password complexity                                              |
   | `deny-on-fail`            | Deny user access after too many failed login attempts                             |
   | `deny-on-nonuse`          | Deny user access after account unused too long                                    |
   | `expiration-lockout-days` | Set the number of days after a password expires until the user gets locked out    |
   | `expiration-warning-days` | Set the number of days before a password expires that the user gets warned        |
   | `force-change-when`       | Force users to change their passwords after it has been set via "User Management" |
   | `history-checking `       | Check for re-use of passwords                                                     |
   | `history-length`          | Set the number of password history entries to store, if enabled                   |
   | `min-password-length`     | Set the minimum allowed password length                                           |
   | `palindrome-check `       | Enable the password palindrome check                                              |
   | `password-expiration`     | Set the time limit for passwords to expire                                        |

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