NIST 800-63B Digital Identity Guidelines for Authentication recommends checking new passwords against passwords used in cybercriminal dictionary attacks.
Start for Free
Multiple studies have shown requiring frequent password changes is actually counterproductive to good password security.
No more arbitrary password complexity requirements needing mixtures of upper case letters, symbols and numbers. Like frequent password changes, it’s been shown repeatedly that these types of restrictions often result in worse passwords.
One of the best ways to ratchet up the strength of your users’ passwords is to screen them against lists of dictionary passwords and known compromised passwords.
OVERVIEW
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) password recommendations encourage organizations to monitor new passwords daily to prevent the use of commonly compromised credentials.
People follow very common patterns in password selection, even with a written password policy in place. Cybercriminals use lists of common passwords and patterns found in previous breaches to narrow the universe of passwords attempted in their attacks. Guessing passwords becomes easier when the actual set of passwords is predictable.
HOW IT WORKS
Enzoic continuously collects compromised passwords and aggregates cracking dictionaries to create a comprehensive blacklist of unsafe passwords. Our list contains billions of entries. It includes every word from every Wikipedia article in all languages and every clear text password from over 3,000 data breaches.
While this blacklist continues to evolve, the rate at which new unique entries are being added has dramatically slowed, giving us confidence that we’ve captured a nearly complete universe of the common passwords used by hackers.
Enzoic provides an easy way to satisfy this requirement. Our researchers maintain a list of unsafe passwords, combining numerous cracking dictionaries and previously breached passwords circulated on the Internet and Dark Web. Our Microsoft Active Directory plugin and RESTful API makes it easy to screen for unsafe passwords.
HOW IT HELPS ME
Many security initiatives add additional burden to the organization. Adopting a NIST password policy actually does the opposite. It improves user experience by eliminating password complexity rules and reducing frequent password resets. It lowers administrative costs with fewer password resets calls and automated remediation. And it improves security by following modern industry recommendations for passwords.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST develops cybersecurity standards, guidelines, and best practices to serve US-based industry and US federal agencies.
NIST’s Digital Identity Guidelines (Special Publication 800-63B) offer dependable recommendations for managing identity and access, including the establishment of effective password guidelines and password policies. These guidelines are widely adopted across industries and organizations as a security standard. It also helps organizations with cyber insurance requirements
Yes, the NIST guidelines recommend comparing passwords against known breach databases and common dictionary words to identify and reject compromised credentials. This proactive approach helps organizations prevent unauthorized access and mitigate security risks.
Blog
NIST password guidelines have real-world applications in every organization. Here's what you can do to stop your passwords from being compromised.
Resource Hub
How to Implement and Automate the Key Elements of NIST 800-63B. This paper covers best practices for NIST-compliant password security and key benefits of automating password policies.
Blog
Understanding the Role of NIST IA-5 in SP 800-53. One essential aspect is the Control Enhancement IA-5 for password-based authentication.
Start for free. Enzoic provides a clean user interface to screen for compromised passwords.
Experience Enzoic