Cryptographically-Protected Passwords

Store and transmit only cryptographically protected passwords.

All passwords must be cryptographically protected using a one-way function for storage and transmission. This type of protection changes passwords into another form, or a hashed password. A one-way transformation makes it theoretically impossible to turn the hashed password back into the original password, but inadequate complexity (IA.L2-3.5.7) may still facilitate offline cracking of hashes. Example You are responsible for managing passwords for your organization. You protect all passwords with a one-way transformation, or hashing, before storing them. Passwords are never transmitted across a network unencrypted [a,b]. Potential Assessment Considerations • Are passwords prevented from being stored in reversible encryption form in any company systems [a]? • Are passwords stored as one-way hashes constructed from passwords [a]?