diff --git a/application/forms/Account/ChangePasswordForm.php b/application/forms/Account/ChangePasswordForm.php
index 5bca11cc8..10298dc19 100644
--- a/application/forms/Account/ChangePasswordForm.php
+++ b/application/forms/Account/ChangePasswordForm.php
@@ -3,11 +3,15 @@
 
 namespace Icinga\Forms\Account;
 
+use Icinga\Application\Config;
+use Icinga\Authentication\PasswordValidator;
 use Icinga\Authentication\User\DbUserBackend;
 use Icinga\Data\Filter\Filter;
 use Icinga\User;
 use Icinga\Web\Form;
 use Icinga\Web\Notification;
+use ipl\Html\Text;
+use Icinga\Forms\Config\GeneralConfigForm;
 
 /**
  * Form for changing user passwords
@@ -29,40 +33,50 @@ class ChangePasswordForm extends Form
         $this->setSubmitLabel($this->translate('Update Account'));
     }
 
+
     /**
      * {@inheritdoc}
+     * @throws \Zend_Validate_Exception
      */
     public function createElements(array $formData)
     {
+        $passwordPolicy = Config::app()->get('global', 'password_policy');
+        if(isset($passwordPolicy) && class_exists($passwordPolicy)) {
+            $passwordPolicyObject = new $passwordPolicy();
+            $this->addDescription($passwordPolicyObject->displayPasswordPolicy());
+        }
+
         $this->addElement(
             'password',
             'old_password',
             array(
-                'label'         => $this->translate('Old Password'),
-                'required'      => true
+                'label' => $this->translate('Old Password'),
+                'required' => true
             )
         );
         $this->addElement(
             'password',
             'new_password',
             array(
-                'label'         => $this->translate('New Password'),
-                'required'      => true
+                'label' => $this->translate('New Password'),
+                'required' => true,
+                'validators' => array(new PasswordValidator())
             )
         );
         $this->addElement(
             'password',
             'new_password_confirmation',
             array(
-                'label'         => $this->translate('Confirm New Password'),
-                'required'      => true,
-                'validators'        => array(
+                'label' => $this->translate('Confirm New Password'),
+                'required' => true,
+                'validators' => array(
                     array('identical', false, array('new_password'))
                 )
             )
         );
     }
 
+
     /**
      * {@inheritdoc}
      */
@@ -83,13 +97,13 @@ class ChangePasswordForm extends Form
     public function isValid($formData)
     {
         $valid = parent::isValid($formData);
-        if (! $valid) {
+        if (!$valid) {
             return false;
         }
 
         $oldPasswordEl = $this->getElement('old_password');
 
-        if (! $this->backend->authenticate($this->Auth()->getUser(), $oldPasswordEl->getValue())) {
+        if (!$this->backend->authenticate($this->Auth()->getUser(), $oldPasswordEl->getValue())) {
             $oldPasswordEl->addError($this->translate('Old password is invalid'));
             $this->markAsError();
             return false;
@@ -111,7 +125,7 @@ class ChangePasswordForm extends Form
     /**
      * Set the user backend
      *
-     * @param   DbUserBackend $backend
+     * @param DbUserBackend $backend
      *
      * @return  $this
      */
diff --git a/application/forms/Config/General/PasswordPolicyConfigForm.php b/application/forms/Config/General/PasswordPolicyConfigForm.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ba7960e6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/application/forms/Config/General/PasswordPolicyConfigForm.php
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Icinga\Forms\Config\General;
+
+use Icinga\Application\Hook;
+use Icinga\Web\Form;
+
+/**
+ * Configuration form for password policy selection
+ *
+ * This form is not used directly but as subform for the {@link GeneralConfigForm}.
+ */
+class PasswordPolicyConfigForm extends Form
+{
+    /**
+     * {@inheritdoc}
+     */
+    public function init(): void
+    {
+        $this->setName('form_config_general_password_policy');
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * {@inheritdoc}
+     *
+     * @return  $this
+     */
+    public function createElements(array $formData)
+    {
+        $this->addElement(
+            'checkbox',
+            'global_password_policy',
+            array(
+                'label'       => $this->translate('Password Policy'),
+                'value'       => true,
+                'description' => $this->translate(
+                    'Enforce strong password requirements for new passwords'
+                ),
+            )
+        );
+
+        $passwordPolicies = [];
+
+        foreach (Hook::all('passwordpolicy') as $class => $policy) {
+            $passwordPolicies[$class] = $policy->getName();
+        }
+
+        asort($passwordPolicies);
+        $this->addElement(
+            'select',
+            'global_password_policy',
+            array(
+                'description' => $this->translate('Enforce strong '.
+                    'password requirements for new passwords'),
+                'label'       => $this->translate('Password Policy'),
+                'multiOptions' => array_merge(
+                    ['' => sprintf(' - %s - ',
+                    $this->translate('No Password Policy'))],
+                    $passwordPolicies
+                 ),
+            )
+        );
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/application/forms/Config/GeneralConfigForm.php b/application/forms/Config/GeneralConfigForm.php
index 5f15512a5..9ec5ad552 100644
--- a/application/forms/Config/GeneralConfigForm.php
+++ b/application/forms/Config/GeneralConfigForm.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use Icinga\Forms\Config\General\ApplicationConfigForm;
 use Icinga\Forms\Config\General\DefaultAuthenticationDomainConfigForm;
 use Icinga\Forms\Config\General\LoggingConfigForm;
 use Icinga\Forms\Config\General\ThemingConfigForm;
+use Icinga\Forms\Config\General\PasswordPolicyConfigForm;
 use Icinga\Forms\ConfigForm;
 
 /**
@@ -32,9 +33,11 @@ class GeneralConfigForm extends ConfigForm
         $loggingConfigForm = new LoggingConfigForm();
         $themingConfigForm = new ThemingConfigForm();
         $domainConfigForm = new DefaultAuthenticationDomainConfigForm();
+        $passwordPolicyConfigForm = new PasswordPolicyConfigForm();
         $this->addSubForm($appConfigForm->create($formData));
         $this->addSubForm($loggingConfigForm->create($formData));
         $this->addSubForm($themingConfigForm->create($formData));
         $this->addSubForm($domainConfigForm->create($formData));
+        $this->addSubForm($passwordPolicyConfigForm->create($formData));
     }
 }
diff --git a/application/forms/Config/User/UserForm.php b/application/forms/Config/User/UserForm.php
index fb2ef4dc3..a2db3ab20 100644
--- a/application/forms/Config/User/UserForm.php
+++ b/application/forms/Config/User/UserForm.php
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 
 namespace Icinga\Forms\Config\User;
 
+use Icinga\Application\Config;
 use Icinga\Application\Hook\ConfigFormEventsHook;
+use Icinga\Authentication\PasswordValidator;
 use Icinga\Data\Filter\Filter;
 use Icinga\Forms\RepositoryForm;
 use Icinga\Web\Notification;
@@ -15,8 +17,15 @@ class UserForm extends RepositoryForm
      *
      * @param   array   $formData   The data sent by the user
      */
+
     protected function createInsertElements(array $formData)
     {
+        $passwordPolicy = Config::app()->get('global', 'password_policy');
+        if(isset($passwordPolicy) && class_exists($passwordPolicy)) {
+            $passwordPolicyObject = new $passwordPolicy();
+            $this->addDescription($passwordPolicyObject->displayPasswordPolicy());
+        }
+
         $this->addElement(
             'checkbox',
             'is_active',
@@ -39,7 +48,8 @@ class UserForm extends RepositoryForm
             'password',
             array(
                 'required'  => true,
-                'label'     => $this->translate('Password')
+                'label'     => $this->translate('Password'),
+                'validators' => array(new PasswordValidator())
             )
         );
 
diff --git a/library/Icinga/Application/ApplicationBootstrap.php b/library/Icinga/Application/ApplicationBootstrap.php
index 32abeaabb..1537917df 100644
--- a/library/Icinga/Application/ApplicationBootstrap.php
+++ b/library/Icinga/Application/ApplicationBootstrap.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use DirectoryIterator;
 use ErrorException;
 use Exception;
 use Icinga\Application\ProvidedHook\DbMigration;
+use Icinga\Application\ProvidedHook\DefaultPasswordPolicy;
 use ipl\I18n\GettextTranslator;
 use ipl\I18n\StaticTranslator;
 use LogicException;
@@ -740,6 +741,7 @@ abstract class ApplicationBootstrap
     protected function registerApplicationHooks(): self
     {
         Hook::register('DbMigration', DbMigration::class, DbMigration::class);
+        Hook::register('passwordpolicy', DefaultPasswordPolicy::class, DefaultPasswordPolicy::class);
 
         return $this;
     }
diff --git a/library/Icinga/Application/Hook/PasswordPolicyHook.php b/library/Icinga/Application/Hook/PasswordPolicyHook.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..86b7db081
--- /dev/null
+++ b/library/Icinga/Application/Hook/PasswordPolicyHook.php
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Icinga\Application\Hook;
+
+interface PasswordPolicyHook
+{
+    /**
+     * Get the name of the password policy
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function getName(): string;
+
+/**
+     * Displays the rules of the password policy for users
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function displayPasswordPolicy(): string;
+
+    /**
+     * Validate a given password against the defined policy
+     *
+     * @param string $password
+     * @return string|null Returns null if the password is valid,
+     * otherwise returns an error message describing the violations
+     */
+    public function validatePassword(string $password): ?string;
+
+}
diff --git a/library/Icinga/Application/ProvidedHook/DefaultPasswordPolicy.php b/library/Icinga/Application/ProvidedHook/DefaultPasswordPolicy.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4e65dc07e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/library/Icinga/Application/ProvidedHook/DefaultPasswordPolicy.php
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Icinga\Application\ProvidedHook;
+
+use Icinga\Application\Hook\PasswordPolicyHook;
+
+/**
+ * Default implementation of a password policy
+ *
+ * Enforces:
+ * - Minimum length of 12 characters
+ * - At least one number
+ * - At least one special character
+ * - At least one uppercase letter
+ * - At least one lowercase letter
+ */
+class DefaultPasswordPolicy implements PasswordPolicyHook
+{
+    /**
+     * @inheritdoc
+     */
+    public function getName(): string
+    {
+        return 'Default Password Policy';
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @inheritdoc
+     */
+    public function displayPasswordPolicy(): string
+    {
+        $message = (
+            'Password requirements: ' . 'minimum 12 characters, ' .
+            'at least 1 number, ' .
+            '1 special character, ' . 'uppercase and lowercase letters'
+        );
+        return $message;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @inheritdoc
+     */
+    public function validatePassword(string $password): ?string
+    {
+        $violations = [];
+
+        if (strlen($password) < 12) {
+            $violations[] = ('Password must be at least 12 characters long');
+        }
+
+        if (! preg_match('/[0-9]/', $password)) {
+            $violations[] = ('Password must contain at least one number');
+        }
+
+        if (! preg_match('/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/', $password)) {
+            $violations[] = ('Password must contain at least one special character');
+        }
+
+        if (! preg_match('/[A-Z]/', $password)) {
+            $violations[] = ('Password must contain at least one uppercase letter');
+        }
+
+        if (! preg_match('/[a-z]/', $password)) {
+            $violations[] = ('Password must contain at least one lowercase letter');
+        }
+
+        if (! empty($violations)) {
+            return implode(", ", $violations);
+        }
+
+        return null;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/library/Icinga/Authentication/PasswordValidator.php b/library/Icinga/Authentication/PasswordValidator.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cc199f1ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/library/Icinga/Authentication/PasswordValidator.php
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Icinga\Authentication;
+
+use Icinga\Application\Config;
+use Zend_Validate_Abstract;
+
+class PasswordValidator extends Zend_Validate_Abstract
+{
+    /**
+     * Checks if password matches with password policy
+     * throws a message if not
+     *
+     * If no password policy is configured, all passwords are considered valid
+     *
+     * @param mixed $value The password to validate
+     *
+     * @return bool
+     *
+     */
+    public function isValid($value): bool
+    {
+        $this->_messages = [];
+        $passwordPolicy = Config::app()
+            ->get('global', 'password_policy');
+
+        if (! isset($passwordPolicy) || ! class_exists($passwordPolicy)) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        $passwordPolicyObject = new $passwordPolicy();
+        $errorMessage = $passwordPolicyObject->validatePassword($value);
+
+        if ($errorMessage != null) {
+            $this->_messages[] = $errorMessage;
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        return true;
+    }
+}