A set of requirements regarding password creation, storage, and usage. These requirements often constrain several characteristics of passwords. So, a password policy is a set of rules designed to enhance computer security by encouraging users to employ strong passwords and use them properly.
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9answers
3k views
How long should the password be?
The minimum password length recommended is about 8 characters, so is there any standard/recommended maximum length of the password?
16
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3answers
2k views
Should I have a maximum password length?
I'm creating a webapp, and part of my authentication method is password length.
Should I put one in place? (say, 50 characters?) Or should I just put a minimum length (Currently at 6).
Are there ...
5
votes
4answers
387 views
Doesn't imposing a minimum password length make the password weaker by reducing the number of possible combinations?
I thought the strength of a password depended on the total number of possible combinations. Therefore, allowing longer passwords should be safer because you then have more possibilities. But why do ...
4
votes
1answer
275 views
How does the mobile security technology APNS and 3LM work?
APNS is an iPhone technology that assists with mobile push. 3LM is a BIOS-level security technology embedded in certain Android phones.
I recently got off the phone with Boxtone and they said they ...
215
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13answers
37k views
What technical reasons are there to have low maximum password lengths?
I have always wondered why so many websites have very firm restrictions on password length (exactly 8 characters, up to 8 characters, etc). These tend to be banks or other sites I actually care about ...
8
votes
4answers
970 views
Passwords - any statistics on user behavior?
I'm looking for analyses of how users choose and use passwords. I'm sure there are many resources out there that analyze user passwords. For instance, I've seen many people analyze dumps of password ...
3
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5answers
286 views
Password reset links: random value or authenticated message?
Which is better?
Create tamper-proof encrypted password reset token which contains the user id and the expiration time within the encrypted token.
Generate a random token and store it in the ...
2
votes
7answers
431 views
Is it possible to detect password length from hash? Does doubling your password add more security?
Assuming a service doesn't store a plain text password, am I right in saying that the answer to this question depends on the service? On a bad service, the hash length is related to the password ...
20
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5answers
1k views
Is it common practice to log rejected passwords?
While selecting unique passwords for each purpose is a great idea, in practice this rarely happens. Therefore many select passwords from a personal pool of passwords that are easily remembered. When ...
26
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7answers
952 views
Who is responsible for the strength of user's passwords?
Who is responsible for a user's password's strength? Is it us (developers, architects, etc.) or the user?
As a web developer, I've frequently wondered whether I should enforce the minimal password ...
21
votes
6answers
5k views
Sharing wifi at a business - Bad Policy?
Is it safe for a small business to let customers use their wifi while waiting?
My friend is starting up a small dentistry practice (1 dentist), and I'm setting up his computers/wifi as a favor. ...
8
votes
3answers
268 views
Is it inconsistent to tell users to “not click on password links in email”, and requiring clicks on “forgot password” links?
On one hand, IT Security shops have been telling users to not click on links in email because they can do damage to your computer, or phish your personal information. Many of those issues are ...
0
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3answers
262 views
What do I need to do to secure log-in and registration for my website?
What security features do I need to have in-place to ensure that my website log-in and registration forms are secure?
17
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8answers
3k views
Why Not Allow Special Characters In a Password?
The culprit in this case is a particular (and particularly large) bank. I know one that does not allow special characters (of any sort) in their passwords. Is their any valid reason for doing this? ...
10
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3answers
1k views
Why are passwords limited to 16 characters?
What is the reason that most websites limit to 16 characters?
I would have thought the longer the password the more difficult it makes it for someone to crack it?
Is it something to do with hash ...
4
votes
3answers
284 views
password complexity policy for non “English” passwords
In an internationalized application, what is the best practice for a policy on complexity of passwords? I am not having luck searching for the answer. Wikipedia lists these items for password ...
3
votes
7answers
242 views
Generate user a password instead of asking for one?
I'm trying to weigh the benefits of not allowing users to create their own passwords, but must pick out of a generated selection. Are there any examples of sites that have do use this approach?
...
7
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4answers
1k views
Is forcing users to change passwords useful?
In many places, there's a policy that force the user changing it's password once a few months. The logic here is, that even if the password have leaked somehow, it'll be abused only for a relatively ...
6
votes
3answers
282 views
An alternative to traditional passwords: is there some merit to this idea?
If you've got a website aimed at people that are not neccessarily technically proficient, letting new users choose their own password isn't very secure because of the simple fact that a lot of people ...
5
votes
2answers
355 views
Requiring regular password change but storing previous paswords?
My bank requires me to change my password regularly but then they can detect if my password was used before. They probably store the old password (possibly hashed) in order to detect it. I think this ...
5
votes
6answers
632 views
Does having a minimum number of digits improve password security?
Some password systems will enforce at least X of a type of character - a common one I see is 'minimum 3 numeric characters'. As far as I understand, simply allowing certain character classes, like ...
2
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0answers
68 views
How can a service shorten a password if it is not stored in plaintext? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How can Microsoft validate a shorter password on Microsoft accounts (MSDN)?
My Microsoft password was 18 characters long and when I updated to Outlook.com it started to ...
0
votes
2answers
199 views
What are RealVNC 5.0 Authentication Protocol Security Limitations?
In the old version of RealVNC, the password length was limited to 8 characters which was easier to be cracked. They have now increased the password length by 255 characters, will this make Realvnc ...
