Ensure the number of changed characters in a new password is configuredID: oval:org.secpod.oval:def:95934 | Date: (C)2023-12-19 (M)2023-12-22 |
Class: COMPLIANCE | Family: unix |
The pwquality difok option sets the number of characters in a password that must not be present in the old password.Rationale:Use of a complex password helps to increase the time and resources required to compromise the password. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks.Password complexity is one factor of several that determines how long it takes to crack a password. The more complex the password, the greater the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised.