Windows 10: Why does MS choose 72 days for password expiration?

Just saw this tutorial and didn't want to hijack it with OT query: Enable or Disable Password Expiration for Your Microsoft Account Windows 10 User Accounts Tutorials

You have the option to force your MSA password to expire every 72 days. No other length of time just 72 days or not.

Why 72 though? It isn't a round number of weeks or months and yet it seems to have been this particular duration for at least a decade. For example there is this How do I change my MSN Hotmail password? - Ask Dave Taylor from 2007.

Any ideas why? Just curious really.

:)

 

Rationale for not using old password

Why does MS not allow me to choose my own password? And frankly, why should Microsoft have any say over our password anyways? This is a free country and I should be able to choose whatever I want as a password,
whether it is deemed "secure" enough by the gods at Microsoft. I am the one who faces the consequence if my account is hacked, not Microsoft, so they can provide all the advice they want as to whether I am choosing a secure password, but ultimately, decision
of what password to use should be mine, not theirs.

And when MS shuts us out of our account - I couldn't get into my account online using my actual password in order to access MS family - and forces me to change it, then for what reasons does MS care if I go back to
the old one? I get why I have to do this at work and not repeat passwords for security reasons, but at home, I am in charge of my security and don't need MS telling me what to do.

- Chris

PS - Please don't just repeat the policy on passwords to me; I already know it. What I am looking for is a
rationale for the policy.

 

Windows 10 password

Windows 10 changed my PC password to MS logon & password. I have multiple computers and want to have the same PC password. I seldom sign in to MS. I want to keep it that way. Does it bother anyone that MS wants to be like Apple requiring you to get
apps from their store? That's why I us MS for the freedom to choose my apps that fit my work.

 

I don't see anything for an official reason why, but I guess that it's just how often Microsoft feels (based on studies??) is the minimum recommendation you should change your password.

It would be nice to have an option to specify your own time frame instead though.

 

Research shows that asking users to change their password every 71 days or less leads to lynch mobs looking for system administrators *Wink