Security 4. January 2017

Are password changes necessary?

We often hear and read that regular password changes increase security. Many companies also force their employees to do this. But does this really lead to more security?

At first glance, it seems to make sense to change passwords regularly. However, a closer look reveals that this is a fallacy. There are two simple reasons for this:

A password does not become more secure if it is changed regularly: It takes a certain amount of time to crack a good password, which is primarily determined by the available computing power. For a good password, that’s millions of years.
Users who are forced to change a password regularly tend to use simple passwords or stick the password on a post-it to their screen (you won’t believe how often we actually encounter this!).

Test now!

Test here how long it would theoretically take to crack your password.

Forced password changes are therefore counterproductive and in practice reduce password security instead of increasing it.

However, sometimes there are valid reasons to change a password! Change your passwords immediately if…

… your current password is too simple (see box).
… you suspect (gut feeling is enough) that a password has been cracked or stolen.
… you have told your password to someone or written it down on an easily accessible piece of paper.
… you use the same password in several places.

Mike Burkart

Chief Growth Officer

Das könnte dich auch interessieren

Password manager – manage passwords securely

Security, Solutions 20. November 2023 What is a password manager and why should you use it? A password manager is a piece of software that helps us manage our passwords. It is used to store our passwords centrally in one place … Mehr erfahren

Simply secure passwords

Security 30. December 2016 Imagine the following scenario: Lena uses "Emefuwumi&611!" as a password on Facebook, GMX Mail, Amazon, and her recipe site. Lena's password may be considered secure because it consists of a combination of letters, numbers, and … Mehr erfahren

RFID and NFC: How to Use Them and Protect Your Data

Security 27. November 2023 What Is RFID? RFID Technology Explained in Brief RFID stands for Radio-F frequencyI identification and enables data to be recognized and transmitted via radio waves. An RFID system typically consists of an RFID tag (or transponder) … Mehr erfahren

Open Circle AG
Freilagerstrasse 32
CH-8047 Zürich