Windows Server 2025 accounts must require passwords.

The lack of password protection enables anyone to gain access to the information system, which opens a backdoor opportunity for intruders to compromise the system as well as other resources. Accounts on a system must require passwords.

Review the password required status for enabled user accounts.

Open PowerShell.

Domain Controllers:

Enter "Get-Aduser -Filter * -Properties Passwordnotrequired |FT Name, Passwordnotrequired, Enabled".

Exclude disabled accounts (e.g., DefaultAccount, Guest) and Trusted Domain Objects (TDOs).

If "Passwordnotrequired" is "True" or blank for any enabled user account, this is a finding.

Member servers and stand-alone or nondomain-joined systems:

Enter 'Get-CimInstance -Class Win32_Useraccount -Filter "PasswordRequired=False and LocalAccount=True" | FT Name, PasswordRequired, Disabled, LocalAccount'.

Exclude disabled accounts (e.g., DefaultAccount, Guest).

If any enabled user accounts are returned with a "PasswordRequired" status of "False", this is a finding.

Configure all enabled accounts to require passwords.

The password required flag can be set by entering the following on a command line: "Net user [username] /passwordreq:yes", substituting [username] with the name of the user account.