FTC Technologist Recommends Against Frequent Password Changes




/ 8 years ago

password changes

When it comes to passwords, we are told many things. We are told to use at least a capital letter, lower case letters, a symbol, some numbers and while we are told all kinds of things about passwords, the worsts part is often remembering them as we are recommended to have frequent password changes and unique passwords for every system. A tweet by the agency regarding the former piece of advice got on the nerves of the FTC’s chief technologist who has openly challenged it.

During a keynote speech at BSides security conference in Las Vegas, Lorrie Cranor expressed surprise at the tweet saying that “I saw this tweet and I said, ‘Why is it that the FTC is going around telling everyone to change their passwords?'”. This advice is widely conflicted, with a rising number of security experts coming to believe that while it may protect you from inside attackers who know your passwords it may instead be leaving you to bigger breaches from external sources.

Cranor explained a recent piece of research stating that “UNC researchers said if people have to change their passwords every 90 days, they tend to use a pattern and they do what we call a transformation. They take their old passwords, they change it in some small way, and they come up with a new password”.

With all of this in mind, how secure do you believe your passwords to be? From both those around you and those across the world? Are you a victim of regular password changes?


Topics: , , , , ,

Support eTeknix.com

By supporting eTeknix, you help us grow and continue to bring you the latest newsreviews, and competitions. Follow us on FacebookTwitter and Instagram to keep up with the latest technology news, reviews and more. Share your favourite articles, chat with the team and more. Also check out eTeknix YouTube, where you'll find our latest video reviews, event coverage and features in 4K!

Looking for more exciting features on the latest technology? Check out our What We Know So Far section or our Fun Reads for some interesting original features.

eTeknix Facebook eTeknix Twitter eTeknix Instagram eTeknix Instagram
  • Be Social With eTeknix

    Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Reddit RSS Discord Patreon TikTok Twitch
  • Features


Send this to a friend
})