Passwords are the first line of defense in protecting your business data from unauthorized access. With cyber-attacks becoming more common and dangerous, it is surprising that even companies on the Fortune 500 list struggle with proper password security. Password policies are a simple and effective way to ensure that your first line of defense is ready to withstand any digital assault successfully. Today, we’re exploring a NordPass Business feature — Password Policy. Let’s jump in.
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What are password policies and why are they important?
Put plainly, password policies are a collection of rules that govern password creation within the organization. Such policies usually set standards for password complexity and management and require users to create passwords in line with those standards.
In most instances, password policies mandate the length of the password, the use of upper- and lower-case letters, special symbols, and numbers. Often, password policies detail how often the password should be updated and how it should be utilized and stored.
Unfortunately, password policies are too often overlooked within a business setting as a company-wide security measure, even though most businesses agree that data security is a priority.
Poor password hygiene is a significant issue in many businesses, regardless of their size. Reports show that stolen or reused credentials cause up to 80% of hacking-related breaches. This is not surprising, especially knowing that 51% of people use the same passwords for work and personal accounts.
Setting password policies within the organization is the most efficient way to fortify your business's first line of defence against unauthorized access. With NordPass Business, establishing organizational password policies is simple, quick, and highly effective.
How to set a company-wide Password Policy with NordPass Business
The NordPass Admin Panel is your control center when it comes to managing passwords in your organization. You already know about Password Health and Data Breach Scanner, the two tools that greatly boost the organization’s overall security posture. Now, you can also set company-wide Password Policy in the Admin Panel.
The Password Policy feature is purpose-built to allow organization Owners and Admins to set specific rules and requirements for passwords stored within the company’s NordPass encrypted vault. With the help of Password Policy, Admins and Owners will be able to view the status of the company’s passwords right there in the Security Dashboard.
Password Policy can be found under Settings within the NordPass Business Admin Panel. Organization Owners and solution Admins have various options to choose from when it comes to setting specific rules for password creation within the company: You can require the use of upper-case letters, numbers, and special characters as well as set the minimum length for the password and an expiration date.
Once the Password Policy is set, the organization owners, as well as Admins, will be able to see whether any of the company’s passwords comply with the policy in place. If any passwords don’t meet at least one of the policy’s requirements, they will be marked as either weak or old. Weak passwords are those that don’t meet the policy requirements, while old ones are those that have exceeded their expiration date. Users will also see the status of their passwords.
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![password policy window](https://a.storyblok.com/f/157611/2250x1020/c2d0fcfd85/password-policies-1.png/m/1200x0/filters:quality(60):format(avif))
![password policy window](https://a.storyblok.com/f/157611/2250x1021/729f3c280d/password-policies-2.png/m/1200x0/filters:quality(60):format(avif))
With Password Policy enabled, each time a user creates a password, they will see a list of requirements for a password according to the policy within the NordPass app. Also, Password Policy requirements will reflect within the Password Generator, which means that all generated passwords will automatically meet all the requirements. Any weak or old passwords within the user’s vault will be visible in the Password Health feature section.
Password Policy is another excellent feature that, along with Password Health and Data Breach Scanner, can significantly improve the company’s overall security posture. Enable it today and don’t worry about weak or old passwords within your organization.