The Content Analysis System (CAS) must enforce password complexity by requiring that at least one special character be used.

Use of a complex password helps to increase the time and resources required to compromise the password. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks.

Password complexity is one factor of several that determine how long it takes to crack a password. The more complex the password, the greater the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised.

Multifactor authentication (MFA) is required for all administrative and user accounts on network devices, except for an account of last resort and (where applicable) a root account. Passwords should only be used when MFA using PKI is not available, and for the account of last resort and root account.

Verify "min-special" is set to "1" with the following steps:

1. Log on to the SSH CLI with an administrative account. 2. Enter "show running-config authentication password-policy". 3. Review the output for the special character requirement.

If "min-special" is not set to "1", this is a finding.

Configure password "min-special" to "1" with the following steps:

1. Log on to the SSH CLI with an administrative account. 2. Enter "enable" and provide the password. 3. Enter "configure terminal". 4. Set the minimum special character requirement by entering "authentication password-policy min-special 1". 5. Enter "exit" to return to the config context, and then enter "exit" again to leave configuration mode.