Credential security discussions usually prioritize preventing breaches. This is understandable, as IBM’s 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report estimates the average breach cost at $4.4 million. Even avoiding one significant incident can make security investments worthwhile, but this number overshadows the ongoing issues caused by repeated problems with credentials.

Account lockouts and compromised credentials rarely make headlines, but they create frequent helpdesk requests, disrupt workflows, and take time away from more important tasks. While each incident may seem small, they generate a persistent burden on IT teams and the organization as a whole.

The biggest expense isn’t just the breach you could prevent, but the everyday interruptions you’re already experiencing.

If an organization is regularly dealing with credential-based attacks or compromised accounts, the immediate reaction is often to strengthen password requirements. However, many organizations find it difficult to strike a balance between strong security and ease of use, and when something doesn’t function properly, the helpdesk is contacted.

Forrester estimates that password resets can account for up to 30% of all helpdesk requests, each costing approximately $70 when considering staff time and lost productivity. This results in a significant, ongoing operational cost linked directly to credential incidents for medium-sized organizations.

These disruptions add up and leave IT departments spending most of their time resolving problems while productivity suffers. The organization bears the costs in ways that are easy to overlook but difficult to eliminate.

When users get cryptic error messages like “doesn’t meet complexity requirements,” they have to guess the problem. What rule did they violate? What’s missing? After several failed attempts, they usually stop trying to figure out the policy and look for the fastest way around it.

People often revert to reusing slightly modified old passwords or storing login information insecurely simply to avoid repeating the process. While not malicious, this increases the chances of repeated credential-related incidents, from lockouts to compromised accounts.

Without a method for checking for breached passwords, organizations depend on regular password resets to manage risk. However, a password doesn’t become risky simply because it’s old. It poses a risk once compromised.

Even with short expiration times, users might still be logging in with credentials that have previously been compromised. Those accounts are vulnerabilities waiting to be exploited, but without knowing about them, you’re essentially hoping for the best.

Simultaneously, the IT department is dealing with the operational effects of unnecessary resets without fixing the underlying problem. Lacking the ability to find exposed credentials, organizations are only addressing symptoms instead of the cause, perpetuating the cycle of problems.

Tools like Specops Password Policy can help here. Its Breached Password Protection feature constantly compares your user accounts to a database containing over 5.8 billion compromised passwords. If a password matches one in the database, customizable alerts prompt users to change it, giving attackers less time to misuse those credentials.

For years, frequent password resets were considered a basic security precaution. But they often cause more issues than they solve.

Requiring users to change passwords every 60 or 90 days leads to predictable behavior. People make small changes to existing passwords or choose something easy to remember under pressure. The result isn’t stronger security, but more susceptible credentials.

Besides leading to weak passwords, set expiration dates regularly disrupt work. Every reset carries the chance of a lockout, adding to the increasing number of helpdesk requests that consume resources without improving security.

This is why guidance from organizations like NIST has shifted away from mandatory periodic changes and toward resetting passwords only when there’s evidence of a breach. While completely getting rid of password resets requires careful thought, the updated guidance should encourage a reassessment of arbitrary expiration dates.

It’s tempting to see passwords as an outdated problem and a feature to minimize as you transition toward passwordless authentication, but passwords remain a core part of identity security. If this foundation is weak, it impacts everything.

Compromised or simple passwords create risk at the identity level, enabling attackers to gain legitimate access and move laterally without immediately raising red flags.

By implementing robust, user-friendly rules and quickly identifying compromised credentials, you reduce the number of vulnerable points across your environment. This is particularly crucial as organizations evolve their authentication methods.

Even passwordless systems rely on strong underlying credentials. Without a reliable base, you risk carrying existing weaknesses into new systems.

Fewer compromised accounts means fewer incidents, less time spent fixing problems, and less interference with daily operations.

Strong password management will help lower risk, but the real benefit comes from decreasing the time and resources spent resolving a constant stream of incidents across the organization.

Considering fewer lockouts, fewer password reset requests, and less time spent handling compromised credentials, you’ll see a reduction in daily disruption for both IT teams and end users.

If repeated credential incidents are becoming too frequent in your environment, it’s worth investigating further.

Want to learn how Specops can improve your identity security? Schedule a demo to see our solutions in action.