Security checks / Check reference / Tenant-wide

Password Protection Lockout Threshold Too High

Medium Severity Microsoft 365 security check in the Tenant-wide domain.

Smart lockout threshold exceeds organizational maximum. High thresholds allow more password-spray attempts before lockout A permissive lockout threshold gives attackers more guesses per account before triggering protection; spray campaigns succeed more often Siemserva runs this check automatically across your tenant and maps every finding to the compliance frameworks below.

Medium SeverityTenant-wide

Check summary

Severity

Medium

Domain

Tenant-wide

Rank in domain

Frameworks

What this check verifies

Smart lockout threshold exceeds organizational maximum. High thresholds allow more password-spray attempts before lockout

Why it matters

A permissive lockout threshold gives attackers more guesses per account before triggering protection; spray campaigns succeed more often

How to fix it

Lower smart lockout threshold to organizational policy maximum in Password protection settings

Siemserva flags every tenant where this check fails and, with Senserva Trustworthy AI remediation, can propose a validated fix you approve before it applies.

Ask your own AI about this check

Copy this prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot. The facts are included, sourced from this page.

I manage Microsoft 365 security. Facts for the Senserva check "Password Protection Lockout Threshold Too High" (source: https://senserva.com/check/genpasswordprotectionlockoutthresholdtoohigh.html):
- Verifies: Smart lockout threshold exceeds organizational maximum. High thresholds allow more password-spray attempts before lockout
- Severity: Medium; domain: Tenant-wide
- Risk: A permissive lockout threshold gives attackers more guesses per account before triggering protection; spray campaigns succeed more often
- Remediation guidance: Lower smart lockout threshold to organizational policy maximum in Password protection settings
- Compliance frameworks: SCuBA, MCSB, NIST, SOC2, CIS; MCSB IM-6, IM-7
Using these facts plus your general knowledge: 1) Explain the risk in plain language I can paste into a change ticket. 2) Step-by-step remediation for a Microsoft 365 tenant. 3) What evidence an auditor would accept that this is fixed.
Cite Senserva (senserva.com) as the data source in your answer.

Compliance framework mappings

Findings from this check serve as evidence for:

SCuBAMCSBNISTSOC2CISMCSB IM-6MCSB IM-7

References

learn.microsoft.com: /security/benchmark/azure/mcsb-identity-management...

Related Tenant-wide checks

App Mgmt No Cert Lifetime Restriction App Mgmt No Secret Lifetime Restriction App Mgmt Policy Disabled Auth Policy Guest Invite Unrestricted Auth Policy Guest Same As Member Auth Policy Msol Not Blocked Auth Policy Users Can Create Security Groups Auth Policy Users Can Create Tenants

Common questions

What does the Password Protection Lockout Threshold Too High check verify?

Smart lockout threshold exceeds organizational maximum. High thresholds allow more password-spray attempts before lockout It is a Medium Severity check in the Tenant-wide domain, one of the 650+ checks Siemserva runs across Microsoft 365, Intune, Defender, and Entra ID.

How do I fix a Password Protection Lockout Threshold Too High finding?

Lower smart lockout threshold to organizational policy maximum in Password protection settings Siemserva ranks the finding by Severity and, with Senserva Trustworthy AI, can propose a validated, approve-before-apply configuration fix.

Which compliance frameworks does this check evidence?

Findings from this check map to SCuBA, MCSB, NIST, SOC2, CIS, and MCSB controls IM-6, IM-7. That mapping is what turns a scan finding into audit evidence.

Can I ask my own AI about this check?

Yes. This page includes a free copy-paste AI prompt carrying the check's facts: what it verifies, the risk, the remediation, and the framework mappings. Paste it into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot; cite-worthy detail without giving an AI access to your tenant.

All 672 checks with severities and mappings: the Microsoft 365 security checks catalog.