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NIST proposes barring some of the most nonsensical password rules (arstechnica.com)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

179 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Here is the text of the NIST sp800-63b Digital Identity Guidelines.

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[–] [email protected] 336 points 1 month ago (76 children)

Reworded rules for clarity:

Min required length must be 8 chars (obligatory), but it should be 15 chars (recommended).

Max length should allow at least 64 chars.

You should accept all ASCII plus space.

You should accept Unicode; if doing so, you must count each code as one char.

Don't demand composition rules (e.g. "u're password requires a comma! lol lmao haha" tier idiocy)

Don't bug users to change passwords periodically. Only do it if there's evidence of compromise.

Don't store password hints that others can guess.

Don't prompt the user to use knowledge-based authentication.

Don't truncate passwords for verification.

I was expecting idiotic rules screaming "bureaucratic muppets don't know what they're legislating on", but instead what I'm seeing is surprisingly sane and sensible.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago (8 children)

re #7, I hope they are also saying no 'secret questions' to reset the password?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago (6 children)

Yeah, I think 7 and 8 both cover that. I recently signed up for an account where all of the "security questions" provided asked about things that could be either looked up or reasonably guessed based on looked up information.

We live in a tech world designed for the technically illiterate.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

I usually invent answers to those and store those answers in a password manager. Essentially turns them into backup passwords that can be spoken over the phone if necessary.

Where was I born? "Stallheim, EUSA, Mars"

Name of first pet? "Groovy Tuesday"

It's fun, usually.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

I tried that without a password manager for a little while. But then my answers were too abstract to remember, so now I also use a password manager for that.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

What is the first name of your first best friend?

eoY&Z9m4LNRDY!Gzdd%q98LYiBi8Nq

Oh old eoY&Z9m4LNRDY!Gzdd%q98LYiBi8Nq and I go way back! I met eoY&Z9m4LNRDY!Gzdd%q98LYiBi8Nq in Pre-K and we’ve been inseparable ever since.

It is quite annoying if they’re a service that makes you read aloud your security questions to phone reps to prove your identity. One of my retirement accounts requires that and I have to sigh and read out the full string. I’ve changed it since to an all lowercase, 20 digit string as a compromise.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

20 character all lowercase is very secure as long as its random words / letters that would make it unguessable by knowing you.