Passwords are a necessary evil in today's world. We need them to protect our online identities, but they can be a pain to remember and type in. That's why it's important to ensure your passwords are up to date and compliant with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) once said that a good password consisted of three things: upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. However, the NIST has now reversed its stance on good passwords. Here’s why and what they are now recommending.

In 2003, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) stated that strong passwords should consist of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Recently, however, the institute reversed its stance. Find out why and learn what their new recommendations are for creating strong passwords.

For years, we’ve been told that strong passwords include three things: upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. And why wouldn’t we when the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) told us they were the minimum for robust passwords? Here’s why not and how it involves you.

A password policy designed for federal agencies must be secure, right? Surprisingly, that hasn’t been the case according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). On the hook for the password best practices that we still use today -- the combination of letters, capitalizations, and numbers -- NIST admits that the existing guidelines were misguided.