What is the maximum number of passwords recommended before performance may degrade?

The recommendation to limit the number of passwords to a maximum of 100 is grounded in practical considerations related to system performance and efficiency. As the number of passwords increases, the time required for the system to process requests, validate credentials, and maintain security logs also rises. Beyond 100 passwords, the likelihood of experiencing performance degradation becomes more pronounced due to the increased complexity in managing and retrieving such a large dataset.

With 100 passwords, a balance is achieved where security measures are still effective without overwhelming the system's capabilities. Systems may need to perform additional checks, maintain larger databases, and manage more memory usage, all of which can slow down performance, especially in high-traffic environments. Therefore, keeping the number of stored passwords to 100 or fewer helps ensure that performance remains optimal while still providing a robust security framework.