Enforcing Password Policies

---
name: enforcing-password-policies
description: Configures and enforces password policies on CockroachDB clusters including minimum length, complexity requirements, and hash cost settings. Use when strengthening authentication requirements, setting up password policies for a new cluster, or meeting compliance password standards.
compatibility: Requires admin role for cluster setting changes.
metadata:
  author: cockroachdb
  version: "1.0"
---

# Enforcing Password Policies

Configures and enforces password policies on CockroachDB clusters by setting minimum password length and bcrypt hash cost. Ensures password strength meets organizational and compliance requirements.

## When to Use This Skill

- Strengthening password requirements to meet compliance standards (SOC 2, HIPAA, NIST 800-63B)
- Setting up password policies for a new production cluster
- Responding to a security audit finding about weak password policies
- Increasing bcrypt hash cost to improve resistance against brute-force attacks

## Prerequisites

- **SQL access** with admin role (required to modify cluster settings)
- **Understanding of impact:** Password policy changes affect new passwords only, not existing passwords