If given the choice, most users are likely to favor a seamless experience over complex security measures, as they don’t prioritize strong password security. However, balancing security and usability doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game. By implementing the right best practices and tools, you can strike a balance between robust password security and a frictionless user experience (UX).
This article explores how to achieve the perfect balance between strong password security and a seamless user experience, even as the standards for strong passwords continue to evolve.
Why user friction is bad for cybersecurity
End users that find security measures cumbersome or frustrating might disregard them, resulting in unintentional cyber risk exposures. These scenarios are especially pronounced in the workplace; if cybersecurity protocols (e.g., strong password security policies) are perceived as obstacles to productivity, employees will frequently ignore or circumvent them due to how difficult, time-consuming, or frustrating a workflow is for users to complete.
High levels of user friction can therefore directly contribute to security risks. For example, 71% of professionals admit to engaging in risky cybersecurity behaviors, such as reusing or sharing passwords. When security measures create unnecessary friction, users are more likely to bypass them, ultimately resulting in weakened password security and increased exposure to cyber threats.
Enhancing UX for better security
Although high user friction can negatively impact cybersecurity, the opposite is also true: a well-optimized UX naturally enhances security. Users faced with security measures that are intuitive, seamless, and minimally disruptive are more likely to follow best practices and comply with security policies.
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| Real-time password strength feedback enhances both security and user experience by guiding users toward stronger, more secure passwords without frustration, thanks to Specops Password Policy |
Methods to improve both password security and user experience
Security teams can prioritize usability in their processes and protocols by implementing the following methods:
Reducing password complexity
In the past, a common approach to strong password security was selecting a sufficiently complex array of words and characters to ensure uniqueness. However, in practice this has led to password convergence; that is, users recycling the same patterns to cope with complexity requirements. Security teams should implement password policies that focus on length over complexity.
Using passphrases vs. passwords
By using passphrases over passwords, users can comply with long password requirements (e.g., 15 characters and above) while at the same time improving recallability. For example, a passphrase that joins three or more random words like “Mustache-Breadcrumb-Headspin” is a lot easier to remember than a random sequence of letters and numbers.
Users can start by joining three or more random words, followed by swapping out some characters and introducing intentional misspellings. This allows for an additional bolstering of password strength without introducing significant memorization overhead. You can find a full guide on moving to passphrases here.
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| Specops Password Policy: Enforcing passphrase rules to increase entropy and enhance security without compromising usability |
Providing dynamic feedback during password creation
A key principle of usability and UX design is the reduction of interaction costs. As defined by leading UX design firm Nielsen Norman Group, interaction cost is the sum of mental and physical efforts that users must exert to reach a specific goal. Users appreciate immediate feedback related to a potential password’s efficacy and whether or not it aligns with policy. By providing users with dynamic password feedback during password creation, you can reduce the interaction cost of strong password security by making the process interactive and streamlined.
Handling forced password resets gracefully
When security incidents like data breaches or compromises occur, firms may have no choice but to implement organization-wide password resets. Security teams can enforce password resets gracefully with solutions like Specops Password Policy—these tools smooth the friction by providing dynamic feedback to users during the forced password reset process, as well as options for traditional passwords, longer and more secure passphrases, or both.
Aging passwords based on length
Passwords that never expire are security compromises waiting to happen. As a result, today’s users —though often reluctantly—accept that they will need to change their passwords at some point. Security teams can make this experience as painless as possible by providing users an option for length-based aging. By allowing for either shorter/weaker passwords with a reduced shelf life or longer/stronger passwords with an extended lifespan, security teams can strike a balance between robust security and UX.
Roll out passphrases using a password policy
Security teams that roll out new password policies are better positioned to preserve UX while maintaining a strong password security posture. Solutions like Specops Password Policy simplify the management of fine-grained password policies while ensuring that compromised credentials and weak passwords are blocked or handled appropriately.
Find the balance between password security and UX
In short, strong security measures shouldn’t come at the cost of frustrating users, nor should convenience lead to weak cyber defenses. Striking the right balance between strong password security and an optimal UX is crucial for long-term resilience. Speak to an expert today and find out how Specops Password Policy enables effective and user-friendly password security.
