Practicing Strong Password Habits

Reasons why a strong password is important

It is almost inevitable that a daily user of the Internet like you and I have some sort of account/information available on the Internet.

But with the account, a lot of them come with weak passwords or poor password hygiene.

A strong password is crucial for many different reasons:

• Protecting Your Data: A strong password helps safeguard your personal and sensitive information from unauthorized access, reducing the risk of data breaches and identity theft.
• Defends Against Brute Force Attacks: Bad actors can use automated programs to guess passwords through brute force. A strong password makes it much harder to crack, making these attacks less likely to succeed.
• Ensures Privacy: Strong passwords help maintain the confidentiality of your communications, emails, and other online interactions, ensuring your private information stays private.

Recommended Security Policies/Standards

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides guidelines for various aspects of cybersecurity, including password management and best practices.

A standard that specifically addresses password practices is NIST Special Publication 800-63B.

This publication focuses on authentication and lifecycle management, and it includes comprehensive recommendations for creating and managing passwords securely.

Some key points that the NIST SP 800-63B mentions regarding password practices include:

• Length Over Complexity: NIST recommends that passwords should be at least 8 characters long, with mixed case and special characters.
• Avoiding Frequent Password Changes: NIST discourages forcing users to change passwords at regular intervals unless there is a known compromise. Frequent changes can lead to weaker passwords and user frustration.
• Secure Password Storage: Passwords should be stored securely using appropriate hashing algorithms, ensuring that they cannot be easily recovered or reverse-engineered.
• Banning Commonly Used Passwords: Organizations and users should check against known lists of commonly used or compromised passwords to prevent users from choosing weak passwords.