Summary
Traditional password policies – you know, the ones that demand eight characters with uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters – might actually be making passwords weaker, not stronger. People respond to strict password rules by making predictable choices that are easy for attackers to crack but hard for humans to remember. Better password policies focus on length over complexity and use tools like breach detection and multi-factor authentication to actually improve security.
The Problem with Traditional Password Rules
We've all encountered them: passwords must be at least eight characters, include uppercase and lowercase letters, at least one number, and a special character. Oh, and you can't reuse your last five passwords. And you need to change it every 90 days.
Sounds secure, right? Except look at what people actually do. They take a word, capitalize the first letter, add a number and exclamation point at the end. "Password1!" meets all the requirements and is absolutely terrible. When forced to change passwords regularly, people just increment the number. "Password1!" becomes "Password2!" becomes "Password3!".
Attackers know these patterns. Password cracking tools specifically target these common modifications. That super strict password policy that seemed like good security is actually creating a false sense of security while making everyone's life harder.
Length Matters More Than Complexity
A long password beats a complex short password every time. "correct horse battery staple" is way stronger than "P@ssw0rd" even though the first one has no special characters or mixed case. Why? Because password cracking is about trying possibilities, and the number of possibilities grows exponentially with length.
Four random common words give you more entropy than eight characters of mixed complexity. Plus, people can actually remember four words. They can't remember "Tr$4kF#9" which is why they write it on a sticky note under their keyboard.
A better password policy focuses on minimum length – say, 12 or 15 characters – without strict complexity requirements. Let people create passphrases that are both strong and memorable. Some organizations are dropping complexity requirements entirely in favor of just requiring longer passwords.
Stop Forcing Regular Password Changes
Mandatory password rotation, where users must change passwords every few months, is increasingly recognized as counterproductive. It frustrates users without improving security. When people are forced to change passwords frequently, they make minimal changes that follow predictable patterns.
The only time passwords should be changed is when there's evidence of compromise. If a user's password shows up in a breach, absolutely force a change. If there's suspicious login activity, force a change. But making everyone change passwords quarterly just trains them to resent security policies and work around them.
Modern security guidance, including from NIST, recommends against time-based password expiration. Focus instead on detecting and responding to actual security incidents.
Check Passwords Against Breach Databases
One of the best things you can do is check new passwords against databases of compromised passwords. Services like Have I Been Pwned maintain lists of billions of passwords that have appeared in data breaches. If someone tries to set a password that's already been compromised, you can reject it.
This catches obvious weak passwords like "password123" but also less obvious ones that have been exposed in breaches. A password might look random but if it's been compromised somewhere, attackers have it in their cracking dictionaries.
Implement this check when users create or change passwords. The check happens securely through cryptographic hashing, so you're not actually sending passwords to external services. You're just verifying they haven't been compromised.
Multi-Factor Authentication Is Non-Negotiable
The single best thing you can do for authentication security is require multi-factor authentication. Even if someone's password gets compromised, they still can't access the account without the second factor. This is way more effective than any password complexity requirement.
Make MFA easy to use. Support standard authentication apps like Google Authenticator or Authy. For less technical users, SMS-based verification works as a backup, though it's less secure than app-based authentication. Security keys like YubiKey are even better for high-security scenarios.
The pushback you'll get is that MFA adds friction. Yes, it does. But that friction is worth it for the security improvement. And once people get used to it, the extra few seconds per login isn't a big deal. The alternative – compromised accounts because passwords alone aren't enough – is far worse.
Educate Rather Than Just Mandate
People make better security choices when they understand why. Don't just tell users their password needs to be 15 characters – explain that longer passwords are harder to crack. Don't just mandate MFA – explain what it protects against and why it matters.
Show users how to create strong passphrases that are both secure and memorable. Demonstrate why writing passwords down in a secure place is often better than reusing weak passwords. Help them understand the real threats and how your security policies address those threats.
Security policies that feel arbitrary create resentment and workarounds. Policies that make sense and have clear security benefits get much better compliance. Invest time in security awareness training that actually helps people understand security rather than just lectures them about rules.
Concluding Remarks
Good password policies balance security with usability. They make it easy for people to do the secure thing and hard to do insecure things. They focus on what actually matters – password length, checking against breaches, and adding second factors – rather than complexity rules that don't help much.
If your password policy still requires special characters, regular rotation, and follows the traditional playbook from the early 2000s, it's time for an update. Modern password policies have better approaches backed by research and real-world experience.
Remember that passwords are just one piece of authentication security. They work best in combination with other defenses like MFA, account lockouts after failed attempts, monitoring for suspicious login patterns, and quick response to potential compromises. Build a complete authentication security strategy rather than putting all your trust in password rules alone.