Smart lockout duration is set to a minimum of 60

Maester checks this too

CIS.M365.5.2.3.9 (Ensure that Account ‘Lockout duration in seconds’ is at least 60 seconds), EIDSCA.PR05 (Default Settings - Password Rule Settings - Smart Lockout - Lockout duration in seconds.) check the same setting. Running both reports it twice.

Overview

When Smart Lockout duration is configured below the default 60 seconds, threat actors can exploit shortened lockout periods to conduct password spray and credential stuffing attacks more effectively. Reduced lockout windows allow attackers to resume authentication attempts more rapidly, increasing their success probability while potentially evading detection systems that rely on longer observation periods.

Remediation

• Set Smart Lockout duration to 60 seconds or higher

Run it

The check runs as part of the whole assessment, with the ZeroTrustAssessment module installed:

Install-Module ZeroTrustAssessment -Scope CurrentUser
Connect-Maester
Invoke-Maester -Pack ZTA -SkipBuiltIn

Leave out -SkipBuiltIn to run Maester’s own checks in the same run.

About this check

Severity	Medium
Effort to fix	Low
Impact on users	Low
Pillar	Identity
Category	Access control
Product	Entra ID
Feature	Password protection
Area	Authentication
ATT&CK	T1110.003 Password Spraying, T1110.004 Credential Stuffing
Licence	P1
Tenant	Workforce, External

Product, feature, area and ATT&CK are Maester’s: the assessment does not record them, so Maester keeps them in the pack’s taxonomy.json.

A Microsoft check, part of the Zero Trust Assessment pack. Text from ZeroTrustAssessment 3.1.0, © Microsoft, MIT licence.