Security at Every Level: Password Policies in Preventing Attacks

The already complex nature of the nation's technological infrastructure becomes even more complicated when it is understood that every level of security ultimately affects all other levels. A common security measure found among all levels of infrastructure is the use of passwords. However, passwords can be easily be compromised with modern attacks such as the brute-force or dictionary-based attack. To prevent these attacks most organizations implement a policy which is used to establish an acceptable level of usage parameters. This paper will explain the use and importance of four particular aspects often included within a password policy.