Local account management is essential for enterprise administrators for security and access management. With cyber threats on the rise, organizations must ensure local accounts are properly managed to protect sensitive data and maintain system integrity.
Good management helps administrators control access to systems and applications through strict policies on passwords, access rights, and user activity monitoring. This reduces the risk of account abuse and ensures only authorized users can access important resources.
Poor policies can increase security risks, such as the use of weak passwords or the absence of account lockout after a failed login attempt, which creates opportunities for attackers. Without supervision, suspicious activity can occur undetected, potentially leading to data leaks or system damage.
Windows 11 provides security features to help administrators manage local accounts. Through Group Policy, administrators can establish strict security policies, including Password Policy and Account Lockout Policy, which protect local accounts with strong authentication standards, thereby reducing the likelihood of cyberattacks. By leveraging this feature, organizations can improve system security and protect digital assets from external threats.
Password Policy
Password settings are essential in security policies to protect local accounts from unwanted access. This policy includes a variety of rules that ensure that the passwords used meet the established security standards.
Some important elements of a password policy include:
1. Password History
Password history policies govern the number of old passwords that users should no longer use when they change their passwords. The goal is to prevent users from using the same password shortly, thereby increasing account security.
2. Maximum Password Age
The maximum age of a password is the maximum amount of time that a password can be used before it has to be replaced. This setting encourages users to change their passwords regularly, reducing the risk of misuse if passwords are leaked. It is recommended that the maximum age of the password be set to 30 days.
3. Minimum Password Length
The minimum length of a password is the least number of characters that should be in a password. This length is important to ensure the password is strong enough against a brute-force attack. The recommended minimum password length is 14 characters.
4. Password Complexity Requirements
Password complexity policies require different combinations of characters, including uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. The goal is to make passwords harder for attackers to guess or crack. This policy should be implemented so that each password meets the complexity standard. An example of a password that meets this rule is Pssw0rd2023!.
Password Policy Settings Recommendation Table
| Policy | Recommended Settings | Information |
| Enforce password history | 24 | Reduces the likelihood of users reusing the same password. |
| Maximum password age | 30 days | Encourage periodic password changes for privileged accounts. |
| Minimum password age | 1 day | Prevent repeated password replacements in a single day to favorite passwords. |
| Minimum password length | 14 characters | Increased security against hacking attempts of a safer length. |
| Password must meet complexity requirements. | Enabled | Ensure that each password has a strong combination of characters. |
| Store passwords using reversible encryption | Disabled | Avoid storing passwords in a readable format. |
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Account Lockout Policy
An account lockout policy is a rule that governs when and how an account will be locked after multiple failed login attempts. The purpose of this policy is to protect the system from cyberattacks, especially brute force attacks, where attackers attempt to guess passwords with multiple attempts.
Account lockout policies work by limiting the number of login attempts allowed in a given time. For example, if a user enters the wrong password more than the specified limit, the account will be locked for a certain period. This makes brute force attacks more difficult, as attackers can’t keep trying unlimited password combinations. By locking out accounts after multiple failed attempts, this policy gives administrators time to monitor and address potential threats.