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Password1! can pass a website’s character-composition test and still be predictable. NIST’s current password guidance rejects character-class rules—such as requiring uppercase letters, numbers, or symbols—and instead requires covered services to screen new passwords against a blocklist of commonly used, expected, or compromised values. That is why a password’s ability to satisfy a rule is not proof that it is hard to guess.
Why does Password1! pass the password rules?
A site that requires an uppercase letter, a number, and a symbol may accept Password1! because it contains all three. But those additions follow a familiar pattern: capitalize the first letter, add a number, then append a symbol. NIST uses this exact example in SP 800-63B-4, Appendix A, “Strength of Passwords”, explaining that composition rules can lead users to make predictable changes to otherwise simple passwords.
Passing a composition check only means the password meets that site’s formatting policy. It does not show that the password is uncommon, unique to that account, or resistant to guessing. NIST’s approach focuses on length and screening the complete proposed password against a blocklist rather than rewarding a particular mix of character types.
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Does NIST require special characters in passwords?
No. Under the current NIST guidance, covered verifiers and Credential Service Providers (CSPs) must not require a password to include a particular combination of character types, such as uppercase letters, digits, or symbols. A website may still have its own rules, but those rules should not be mistaken for NIST’s current recommendation.
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NIST’s implementation FAQ explains the concern: users often respond to a special-character requirement by appending a symbol such as “!” to a familiar password. A character-mix rule can therefore create a predictable variation rather than a meaningfully stronger secret.
What does NIST actually recommend for passwords?
NIST SP 800-63B-4, published in July 2025, sets requirements for password length and screening. The minimum depends on whether the password is used alone or only within a multifactor authentication process.
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| Use | NIST guidance |
|---|---|
| Password used as a single authentication factor | Must be at least 15 characters long. |
| Password used only as part of a multifactor authentication (MFA) process | May be shorter, but must be at least eight characters long. |
| Maximum length accepted | Verifiers should permit a maximum length of at least 64 characters. |
These are NIST requirements and a recommendation for covered verifiers, not a claim that every website already follows them. They also do not mean that a long password is automatically safe: the verifier must still screen the whole proposed password against a blocklist.
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When a user sets or changes a password, the verifier must compare the complete proposed password against a blocklist of commonly used, expected, or compromised values. If the proposed password is on that list, it must be rejected. NIST’s implementation FAQ describes this as a way to prevent the use of common values that are especially vulnerable.
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This is whole-password screening; it does not mean NIST requires rejecting every dictionary word or every password that contains a familiar substring. The point is to block the proposed secret when the complete value is known to be commonly chosen, expected, or compromised.
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NIST says verifiers should not require users to change passwords periodically. A verifier must require a change when there is evidence that an authenticator has been compromised. That distinguishes a response to a real security signal from an expiration schedule that makes users change passwords simply because time has passed.
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How NIST’s approach differs from a typical composition rule
| Question | Character-composition policy | NIST guidance |
|---|---|---|
| What is checked? | Whether the password includes required character types, such as capitals, numbers, and symbols. | Length, plus whether the complete proposed password appears on a blocklist. |
| Does authentication context affect the minimum? | Not necessarily; the site defines its own policy. | Yes. The minimum is 15 characters for single-factor use and at least eight when the password is used only with MFA. |
| When should the password change? | A site may set a calendar-based expiration policy. | No routine periodic change; require a change when there is evidence of compromise. |
| What entry features are supported? | A site’s policy and form determine what users can enter. | NIST recommends support for long passwords, password-manager autofill, and copy and paste. |
What password-entry features should a service support?
Length requirements only help if users can create and enter passwords that meet them. NIST’s Customer Experience Considerations recommend allowing long passwords and supporting password-manager autofill and copy and paste. Those features make it easier to use long, distinct passwords without relying on memorable character substitutions.
Are passwords phishing-resistant?
No. NIST states that passwords are not phishing-resistant. Stronger length rules and blocklist screening address password strength and common choices; they do not prevent a user from being tricked into entering a password on a fraudulent site. MFA can add another layer, but do not treat composition rules—or password length—as protection against phishing.
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