The built-in Microsoft password complexity filter must be enabled.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-1150	WN08-AC-000008	SV-48046r1_rule	IAIA-1 IAIA-2	Low

Description
The use of complex passwords increases their strength against guessing and brute-force attacks. This setting configures the system to verify that newly created passwords conform to the Windows password complexity policy.

STIG	Date
Windows 8 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2014-01-07

Details

Check Text ( C-44785r1_chk )
Analyze the system using the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in. (See "Performing Analysis with the Security Configuration and Analysis Snap-in" in the STIG Overview document.) Expand the Security Configuration and Analysis tree view. Navigate to Account Policies -> Password Policy. If the value for "Password must meet complexity requirements" is not set to "Enabled", this is a finding. Note: If the site is using a password filter that requires this setting be set to "Disabled" for the filter code to be used, this would not be considered a finding. If this setting does not affect the use of an external password filter, it will be enabled for fall-back purposes.

Check Text ( C-44785r1_chk )

Analyze the system using the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in. (See "Performing Analysis with the Security Configuration and Analysis Snap-in" in the STIG Overview document.)
Expand the Security Configuration and Analysis tree view.
Navigate to Account Policies -> Password Policy.

If the value for "Password must meet complexity requirements" is not set to "Enabled", this is a finding.

Note: If the site is using a password filter that requires this setting be set to "Disabled" for the filter code to be used, this would not be considered a finding. If this setting does not affect the use of an external password filter, it will be enabled for fall-back purposes.

Fix Text (F-41184r1_fix)
Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Account Policies -> Password Policy -> "Password must meet complexity requirements" to "Enabled".