ITPUB
Aug 13, 2026 · Information Security
The NIST Official Who Enforced Special Characters in Passwords Has Apologized
The article traces the origin of the ubiquitous NIST password rule requiring uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters to an eight‑page 2003 guideline authored by Bill Burr, examines why the rule fails for human‑chosen passwords, and explains how NIST later rescinded it after the author expressed regret.
AuthenticationNISTinformation security
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