Password and Authentication
Define authentication expectations, MFA use, password handling, and exceptions.
Purpose
Authentication policy should emphasize strong authenticators, MFA where appropriate, recovery control, and exception handling. Rules should be understandable enough that people follow them without workarounds.
Policy shape
| Rule | State the expected behavior in direct language. |
|---|---|
| Reason | Explain the operating risk or obligation behind the rule. |
| Owner | Name who maintains the policy and decides exceptions. |
| Evidence | Define what proves the policy is being followed. |
| Review | Set a review cadence and update trigger. |
When to use
- When the work repeats often enough that memory is no longer reliable.
- When more than one person may request, perform, review, or inherit the work.
- When risk, approval, evidence, or handoff needs to be visible later.
Common failure modes
- Password rules encourage insecure workarounds.
- Recovery paths bypass strong authentication.
- Service accounts are treated like personal accounts.
Review guidance
Review this page after a material incident, after a role or system change, and on a normal cadence appropriate to its risk. During review, check whether the owner is still correct, whether inputs are still complete, whether the output is still useful, and whether related pages need updates.
External guidance
These resources are references for terminology, control thinking, or review design. DailyWF adapts the ideas into lightweight operating pages rather than reproducing full standards.
- NIST SP 800-63-4 Digital Identity GuidelinesIdentity proofing, authentication, and federation guidance.
- CIS Critical Security Controls v8Prioritized safeguards for common enterprise security risks.