Accounts secured with passwords that you or the security administrator change periodically. This account type is the most common.

Accounts secured with authentication cards that have your password programmed onto the device. Many third-party products support this type of authentication mechanism.

Accounts that always require passwords but prohibit you from changing the password. By locking the password (setting the LOCKPWD flag in the UAF record), the security administrator controls all changes made to the password.

Restricted accounts limit your use of the system and sometimes require a password.

Open accounts require no password; the password is null. When you log in to an open account, the system does not prompt you for a password, and you do not need to enter one. You can begin entering commands immediately. Because open accounts allow anyone to gain access to the system, they are used only at sites with minimal security requirements and should normally be set up as restricted accounts.