Fitz Villafuerte

for better or worse the world is run by whoever shows up

Password rotation or Forced changes lead to "password hedging," where users just add a number or change one letter (e.g., Summer1! becomes Summer2!). It is biologically impossible for most people to memorize a high volume of complex, random strings every few months, leading to "sticky note" security risks. When security is a hassle, users find dangerous shortcuts, like reusing the same "strong" password across every site they own. The most important fact is that NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), the global authority on cybersecurity standards, officially retired this method In its Digital Identity Guidelines (SP 800-63B), NIST now explicitly states that organizations "SHALL NOT require" periodic password changes. They’ve shifted the focus to Length over Complexity. They recommend allowing passphrases of up to 64 characters and only requiring a change if there is actual evidence of a compromise.