How can you create a secure and user-friendly password policy?

A password policy is essential for enhancing the security of user accounts and protecting sensitive information within an organization. By establishing rules such as password complexity requirements, regular expiration intervals, and restrictions on password reuse, a password policy helps mitigate the risk of unauthorized access. It addresses common vulnerabilities like weak passwords and brute force attacks, promoting the use of strong, unique credentials.

Password policy is a crucial component of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, helping organizations protect their assets, maintain regulatory compliance, and reduce the risk of security breaches. As cybersecurity threats evolve, password policies could be updated to address new vulnerabilities and attack vectors. Regular reviews and updates to password policies help organizations stay resilient against emerging threats.

Password policies, when implemented effectively, form a cornerstone of web application security. By combining technical enforcement with user education, organizations can create a comprehensive approach to password management. This collaborative effort empowers users to become active participants in safeguarding their accounts and sensitive data, ensuring the resilience of web applications against evolving cybersecurity threats.

In my opinion, a Password policy helps the team to create a new password conveniently. Also, this helps to maintain the security of key assets of the firm. The easiest way to have a good password would be to use a sentence like 'I like to work with Wipro since 2017 @ Noida location'. This has all the key features required for a secured password while at the same time is too complex for any hacker

Password policy is one of the steps to secure data and systems, this policy was created not only to secure the system but also to secure users of the system. Securing the system means preventing unauthorized people from accessing data, securing users means preventing unauthorized people from abusing user accounts.

From a technical perspective, it is fairly simple to design the password policy and set the needed security requirements. However, what needs to be considered properly is user behavior. If the password is too complex, the user will have a hard time coming up with one (if they dont know password generators or use password managers) which might lead them to forget about it easily or save it somewhere in plain sight, thus defeating the whole purpose of protecting users' accounts. What I would go for is a simple minimum length and a mix of letters and numbers. And could focus more on alternative forms of authentication like SMS otp or biometrics

Generally, follow the NIST SP 800-63-3 guidelines for digital identity, it offers guidelines for password best practices that focus not only on the strength of the passwords but also take into account the behavior of the users who create them, suggesting methods to enhance password security which include: 1. Use a password manager 2. Password length is always greater than complexity 3. Choose the “Show Password While Typing” option to avoid typos 4. Breached password protection using tools like "Have I Been Pwned" 5. Don’t change passwords frequently - NIST now recommends changing when you feel it's suspect. Changing too often has led to picking simpler passwords 6. Limit the number of password attempts 7. Use MFA authentication

Password policies should not be static; they should evolve as cybersecurity threats and user behaviors change. Regularly reviewing and updating policies to reflect the latest trends in password cracking techniques and user preferences is essential to maintain a robust and effective security posture. By adopting these considerations, organizations can design password policies that effectively safeguard sensitive data while minimizing usability friction. This balanced approach fosters a secure and user-friendly environment, empowering users to contribute to the overall security of the web application ecosystem.

Being in Fintech, we follow PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). Minimum Length: - 12 characters: Recommended minimum length for new passwords as of PCI DSS v4.0. - 8 characters: Minimum length acceptable if systems don't support 12 characters. Complexity: - Alphanumeric characters are mandatory (at least uppercase and lowercase letters). - Consider using numbers and special characters for even stronger passwords. Regular Updating: - Change passwords at least every 90 days. - Users must not be allowed to reuse their previous 4 passwords. Additional Requirements: -Unique passwords -Lockouts: max 6 consecutive failed logins -Account lockouts: at least 30 minutes -No default passwords -Multi-Factor Authentication

A password is a method of authentication of the user. The user is a real person, and this is more important than any theory. You must keep in mind that security must be balanced with usability and user experience. There are always tons of methods to gain an unauthorized access, but the most popular of them is getting the password from the user himself. The most popular mistake is to make authentication complex and difficult to remember. Force user to use 2FA and a complex password — and this password will be written near the monitor, mobile phone will be easily unlocked to save the time. The user is always smarter than you think in case of simplifying his life. Just remember that the 3-words password phrase is stronger than u8*!@#123.

I will suggest something which I observe during most of my security assessments: Firstname + 'any symbol' (like @ or #) + 'current or favorite year'. You can keep using this so that we can keep succeeding in our security assessments. PS. No Hard Feelings

I would suggest to avoid using passwords like : initials of your name + consecutive numbers and symbols (eg. abc123!@#)or keys that appear side-by-side on keyboard like asdf456$%^ jkl;789&*( Those are very common passwords that users create if they do not want to remember. However, this makes the password weak and easy to guess.

If you need to prevent certain characters from being in the password (I often see spaces, quotes, and slashes as being restricted), then you either aren't properly handling your input validation or you don't trust it. Let people use whatever characters they want to make the password because that will make it easier for them to remember. Then just make sure the password is never interpreted as data (injection attacks). Beyond that, just do a strength check, which should be a factor of length and characters used. If they don't use a capital letter? So what? It doesn't matter that they didn't use a capital letter if the password is also 20 characters long. Strength and the ability to recall the password are what matter.

In my view, implementing password policies, such as minimum length, complexity requirements, regular password updates and including Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) in adding an extra layer of security. Example: Enforce a password policy that requires a combination of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters, and prompt users to update their passwords every 90 days and implement MFA with tools like Google/Microsoft Authenticator to require users to enter a one-time code in addition to their password.

1. Policy Communication: - Clearly communicate the policy to all employees. - Make the policy easily accessible in written form, facilitating reference and adherence. 2. Policy Enforcement: - Implement technical controls to effectively enforce policy requirements. - Conduct routine monitoring to ensure ongoing compliance. - Enforce disciplinary actions in response to policy violations, maintaining a secure environment. 3. Encourage employees to utilize password managers for the generation and storage of strong, unique passwords. 4. User Education: Provide targeted training to employees covering essential aspects to mitigate security risks 5. Periodically Review and Update the password policy to assess its continued effectiveness.

Regular testing and updates ensure that your password policy remains effective against evolving security threats. Cybersecurity is dynamic, and staying proactive in adjusting your policy based on new vulnerabilities or user feedback is essential.

The good practice is to make a hacker-day in your company. Use the bruteforce tools, use database leaks from the internet, act like a real hacker to proof that everything is ok. If your policy "just works" and you don't try to break it, you're just passively waiting for the intruder.

To test and update a password policy, periodically conduct security audits, gather user feedback, analyze emerging threats, ensure compliance with industry standards, and iteratively refine the policy based on insights and evolving cybersecurity landscape.

Testing a password policy can be fun sometimes, for example, if your requirements are "your password must contain at least 1 number and 1 special character" there's no reason why a user can't just enter "!111111" as a password, which is far from secure. the trick to testing rules such as these is to find the most creative way to do the bare minimum. Additionally, pen testing your password solution is crucial. without a proper penetration test, you risk critical flaws being exploited. as an example, testing against bruteforce attacks, or sql injection vulnerabilities are tests that can easily be automated without much cost or time, but are what some would consider the two most essential tests to run against a new password policy.

The password policy is useless if you don't have an agreement with your users. If the user doesn't understand the risks, rules and principles, no technical defenses will be effective. You should tell your users how to act in cases like: 1. When they're forced to share the password. 2. When they need to share the rights inside the system and instead share a password. 3. When they can't remember complex passwords (yes, it is your problem). 4. When they make mistakes in authentication. Ask your users if they have any difficulties with the security and adjust security, not users.

Passwords are to provide security from unauthorized access to restricted information from both inside and outside threats. The users having access to such critical organisational data must understand the importance of his/her role and the criticality of the data. There must be provisions to keep a check that the password policy is well understood and is implemented by the users. Not only the training in enough but there should be the provision for audits and surprise checks on how the passwords are maintained and stored. It is often hard for people to memorise passwords and hence they tend to write or store them in highly vulnerable places. Setting up a password policy is not enough.

Email Notifications: Send periodic emails outlining policy updates, stressing the significance of strong passwords. Use automated email tools for consistency and tracking. Training Sessions: Conduct interactive training sessions, demonstrating password complexity and secure practices. Leverage tools like GoPhish for simulated phishing exercises. Documentation: Maintain a comprehensive policy document, detailing technical aspects like password length and complexity. Utilize collaborative tools like Confluence for easy access and updates. Automated Reminders: Implement automated reminders for password updates. Tools like PowerShell scripting can automate reminders in Windows environments.

password policy communication is one of the more difficult aspects of changing a password policy. naturally, not every last little detail is required, and figuring out which parts it's ok to leave out can be a bit frustrating for the average software developer. Let's take MFA as an example. In some cases, you require your own personal, secure device, and access to it whenever you wish to log on. naturally, most users would want some form of backup process, and it's not always possible to have a backup in specific circumstances. communicating this will likely take some very careful wording so as not to frustrate users. in conclusion, choosing your words carefully and educating users effectively is paramount to a good password policy.

A simple variant to protect against attacks / bad passwords is a tried and tested option. By making the wrong entry after 3 attempts in the shortest possible time, the account is blocked for a certain time and the user is notified. In this way you can create a concept for further possibilities or conditions.

Avoid Common Passwords: Discourage the use of easily guessable passwords Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Implement MFA to add an extra layer of security. Account Lockout :Implement account lockout policies to prevent brute-force attacks by locking an account after a wrong attempts. Email Alerts : send alert on unusual login patterns or suspicious activities.