Editing Password (section)

===Password longevity===

"Password aging" is a feature of some operating systems which forces users to change passwords frequently (e.g., quarterly, monthly or even more often). Such policies usually provoke user protest and foot-dragging at best and hostility at worst.<ref>{{Cite conference |last=Shay |first=R. |last2=Komanduri |first2=S. |last3=Kelley |first3=P. G. |last4=Leon |first4=P. G. |last5=Mazurek |first5=M. L. |last6=Bauer |first6=L. |last7=Cranor |first7=L. F. |title=Encountering stronger password requirements: user attitudes and behaviors |book-title=Proceedings of the Sixth Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security |pages=1–20 |year=2010 |url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1837110.1837113 |access-date=April 30, 2025}}</ref> There is often an increase in the number of people who note down the password and leave it where it can easily be found, as well as help desk calls to reset a forgotten password. Users may use simpler passwords or develop variation patterns on a consistent theme to keep their passwords memorable.<ref name="Joseph-Steinberg-Forbes" /> Because of these issues, there is some debate as to whether password aging is effective.<ref name=WEB>{{cite web |url = https://www.cesg.gov.uk/articles/problems-forcing-regular-password-expiry |title = The problems with forcing regular password expiry |date = 15 April 2016 |work = IA Matters |publisher = CESG: the Information Security Arm of GCHQ |access-date = 5 August 2016 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160817223701/https://www.cesg.gov.uk/articles/problems-forcing-regular-password-expiry |archive-date = 17 August 2016}}</ref> Changing a password will not prevent abuse in most cases, since the abuse would often be immediately noticeable. However, if someone may have had access to the password through some means, such as sharing a computer or breaching a different site, changing the password limits the window for abuse.<ref>[http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2010/11/changing_passwo.html Schneier on Security discussion on changing passwords] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101230115557/http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2010/11/changing_passwo.html |date=30 December 2010 }}. Schneier.com. Retrieved on 20 May 2012.</ref>