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V-228648

CAT II (Medium)

If multifactor authentication is not available and passwords must be used, the Palo Alto Networks security platform must enforce a minimum 15-character password length.

Rule ID

SV-228648r1018774_rule

STIG

Palo Alto Networks NDM Security Technical Implementation Guide

Version

V3R3

CCIs

CCI-004066, CCI-000205

Discussion

Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks. Password length is one factor of several that helps to determine strength and how long it takes to crack a password. The shorter the password, the lower the number of possible combinations that needs to be tested before the password is compromised. Use of more characters in a password helps to exponentially increase the time and/or resources required to compromise the password.

Check Content

Go to Device >> Setup >> Management.
View the "Minimum Password Complexity" window.
If the "Minimum Length" field is not "15", this is a finding.

Fix Text

Go to Device >> Setup >> Management.
In the "Minimum Password Complexity" window, select the "Edit" icon (the gear symbol in the upper-right corner of the pane).
In the "Minimum Length" field, enter "15".
Check the "Enabled" box, then select "OK".
Commit changes by selecting "Commit" in the upper-right corner of the screen.
Select "OK" when the confirmation dialog appears.