What is a crucial factor in developing a password policy for users?

In developing a password policy for users, establishing a mandatory character length is a crucial factor because it directly impacts the security strength of the passwords. Longer passwords significantly enhance security by increasing the number of possible combinations that a malicious actor would need to guess or brute force. This requirement encourages users to create more complex and less predictable passwords, which are harder to compromise.

While other factors, such as storage requirements or two-factor authentication, are important elements of overall security strategies, they do not directly relate to the composition of passwords in the same fundamental way that character length does. Similarly, rules regarding clear text management address how passwords should be stored or transmitted but do not influence the password's effectiveness or strength itself. Thus, setting a mandatory character length is an essential building block of a robust password policy.