Implement Password Policy and Validation Standards

[DevMuhdishaq]

Overview

Establish and enforce a standardized password policy to enhance security and user account protection.

Objectives

• Define minimum password requirements (length, complexity)
• Implement password hashing with industry-standard algorithms
• Add password strength validation
• Implement password history tracking (prevent reuse)
• Add forced password changes for compromised accounts

Password Requirements

• Minimum 12 characters
• Must include uppercase and lowercase letters
• Must include numbers
• Must include special characters (!@#$%^&*)
• No common patterns or dictionary words

Implementation Details

• Use bcrypt or Argon2 for password hashing
• Implement password strength meter
• Add password reset functionality with secure tokens
• Implement rate limiting on password change
• Add password breach checking (optional)

Acceptance Criteria

• Passwords meeting policy are accepted
• Weak passwords are rejected with clear error messages
• Passwords are properly hashed in the database
• Password history prevents reuse of recent passwords
• Password reset tokens are secure and time-limited