Why Changing Your Password Every Few Months Might Actually Be Bad for Security
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a leading authority on cybersecurity, published a blog post on March 13, 2025, titled “The problems with forcing regular password expiry.” This might sound counterintuitive, as we’ve been told for years to change our passwords frequently to stay safe. But the NCSC and other experts are increasingly advocating against this practice, and here’s why:
The Old Way: Password Expiry – A False Sense of Security
For a long time, the default advice was: change your password every 30, 60, or 90 days. The reasoning behind this was to limit the damage if a password was compromised. If a hacker gained access to your password, they would only be able to use it for a limited time before you changed it.
However, this approach has several major flaws:
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Predictable Password Changes: When forced to change passwords regularly, people often resort to predictable patterns. For example, adding a number to the end (“Password1”, “Password2”, “Password3”) or making minor, easily guessable variations. This makes it much easier for attackers to crack passwords.
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Weaker Passwords Overall: Forced expiry often leads to weaker passwords. Think about it: if you know you have to change your password soon, you’re less likely to spend the time creating a truly strong and memorable one. You’ll opt for something quick and easy to remember, which is often less secure.
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Password Reuse: Frustrated with the constant changes, many people reuse passwords across multiple sites and services. If one of those sites is breached, all accounts using that password are at risk.
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Password Fatigue: Having to remember a constantly changing and complex password can be incredibly frustrating. This leads to people writing down their passwords, storing them insecurely, or even sharing them with others, defeating the entire purpose of the exercise.
The NCSC’s Recommendation: Focus on Strong, Unique Passwords and Compromise Detection
The NCSC argues that the key to security isn’t frequent password changes, but rather:
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Strong, Unique Passwords: A strong password is long, complex, and doesn’t contain easily guessable information like names, birthdays, or common words. It should ideally be a random string of characters, numbers, and symbols. More importantly, each password should be unique to each website or service.
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Password Managers: The easiest way to manage strong, unique passwords for multiple accounts is to use a password manager. These tools securely store your passwords and can automatically generate strong passwords for you. They also usually have features that can alert you if a website you use has been compromised.
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Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): MFA adds an extra layer of security on top of your password. It requires you to provide a second form of authentication, such as a code sent to your phone or a fingerprint scan, in addition to your password. This makes it much harder for attackers to gain access to your account, even if they know your password.
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Compromise Detection: Instead of relying on regular password changes, it’s more effective to focus on detecting compromised accounts. This can be done through monitoring systems that look for suspicious activity, such as logins from unusual locations or attempts to access sensitive information. Password managers can also often alert you if your password has been found in a data breach.
The Bottom Line:
While the idea of regularly changing passwords seemed like a good way to enhance security, it often backfired in practice. Forcing password expiry leads to weaker, predictable passwords and password reuse, ultimately making users less secure.
The NCSC’s recommendation emphasizes a more holistic approach:
- Create strong, unique passwords for each account.
- Use a password manager to securely store and manage your passwords.
- Enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible.
- Monitor for potential account compromises and take action immediately if one is detected.
By focusing on these strategies, you can significantly improve your online security without the hassle and risk of forced password expiry. Think of it as shifting from trying to outrun the threat to building a stronger, more secure fortress. It’s about making it harder for attackers to get in, rather than just changing the locks on a flimsy door every few months.
The problems with forcing regular password expiry
The AI has delivered the news.
The following question was used to generate the response from Google Gemini:
At 2025-03-13 11:50, ‘The problems with forcing regular password expiry’ was published according to UK National Cyber Security Centre. Please write a detailed article with related information in an easy-to-understand manner.
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