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NIST 800-171 R-3.1.8

Limit Unsuccessful Logon Attempts

Official citation: 3.1.8

Class: core · Severity: high

Statement of the obligation — verify against source

3.1.8

What it means

Lock accounts after a set number of failed logins to blunt password-guessing, whether the attempt comes over a local or network connection. To avoid causing a denial of service, lockouts are usually temporary and release automatically after a set period (a delay algorithm), and the approach can differ by system component. Responses can be enforced at both the operating-system and application levels.

Educational reference only — not legal advice. Consult a qualified assessor or attorney for binding compliance determinations.