Do You Really Need to Change a Strong Password Often?

Today, I want to talk about something that frustrates many of us — the constant push to change our passwords, even when they are already strong.

Just three months ago, I created a new password. It checked all the boxes: uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, symbols, and absolutely no real words. It was complex and unique. Now, I am being asked to change it again due to a "potential security issue." But my account was not breached, and the password has not been leaked. So, what exactly is the problem?

This kind of forced rotation makes me wonder who decided that frequent password changes automatically make things safer. Are we truly protecting ourselves by changing passwords every few months, or are we just following outdated security policies?

Let us be clear — weak passwords like "password1" or "123456" have no place in the digital world. Those should be changed, no question. But when you already use a strong password that has not been compromised, changing it on a schedule can actually backfire.

Many people, including myself, experience password fatigue. When asked to update strong passwords regularly, users tend to take shortcuts. Some reuse old passwords. Others create simpler ones just to remember them more easily. Or worse, they write them down and leave them somewhere vulnerable. That is not better security — it is just more risk.

From what I have read and personally experienced, the focus should be on using long, complex, and unique passwords for each account — and protecting those passwords using reliable password managers or two-factor authentication. Changing a strong, secure password that has not been leaked may not offer any real benefit.

So, why do we still do it? In many cases, it is because of company policies, outdated advice, or a general sense that “doing something” must be safer than doing nothing. But that may not be true anymore.

Digital safety should be based on actual risks — not just habit. If a password has not been exposed and it is extremely difficult to guess, then changing it simply because a timer went off seems like a waste of time and effort.

What do you think? Do you feel safer after every forced password update, or do you see it as an unnecessary step that causes more hassle than protection?

Feel free to share your experience in the comments. Maybe it is time we rethink what “secure” really means in the modern internet.