On online security and password policies

Writing the post on del.icio.us's password policy got me thinking about passwords and online security again.

Having a strong password policy such as "passwords must be longer than six characters and must contain a number or a symbol and a mix of uppercase and lowercase characters" is great in theory but let's take a moment to follow Joe User as he encounters such a policy and chooses his password:

Joe User: Ah, it won't let me use my normal password, I need to create a new one... ok, done!

Joe User: Hmm, I'm never going to remember this, let me just write it down on this Post-it note.

Joe User: Better not lose this, let's stick it on my monitor.

Joe User: Cool, now that's done, I can leave for lunch.

See the problem?

The weakest link in online security is not password strength but the human being who owns the password. Having a complicated password policy that enforces strong passwords may actually become a security issue if it results in the user writing her password down to remember it as that becomes the weakest link in the chain. (By the way, this isn't fiction, I’ve actually seen passwords on Post-it notes stuck to monitors — good, honest, strong passwords — completely compromised.)

It's a balance, for sure, but not always between security and usability as it is often portrayed. It's a balance between security and security. Specifically, beyond a certain point, increasing the complexity of password policies may actually start compromising the overall security of the whole system where the user, not the password, is the weakest link.

It's also a matter of psychology. Different applications handle data of varying sensitivity and users have varying expectations of what comprises adequate security. You expect a bank to have a strong password policy. Twitter? Not really.

Usability, of course, is also a very important consideration. There are some applications where you spare nary a thought for the authentication system, it just works and stays out of your way. Yet there are others were it seems you are always filling out the forgotten password form. Guess which ones users like more.

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