diff --git a/usermngr/Config.in b/usermngr/Config.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4fada3b54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/usermngr/Config.in
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+if PACKAGE_usermngr
+
+config USERMNGR_SECURITY_HARDENING
+	bool "Security hardening mechanisms"
+	default y
+	help
+	   Enable this option to use PAM based faillock, passwdqc, faildelay for security hardening.
+endif
diff --git a/usermngr/Makefile b/usermngr/Makefile
index b4629d721..86810820d 100644
--- a/usermngr/Makefile
+++ b/usermngr/Makefile
@@ -32,8 +32,9 @@ define Package/usermngr
   DEPENDS+=+libbbfdm-api +libbbfdm-ubus +bbfdmd
   DEPENDS+=+@BUSYBOX_CONFIG_ADDUSER +@BUSYBOX_CONFIG_DELUSER +@BUSYBOX_CONFIG_ADDGROUP +@BUSYBOX_CONFIG_DELGROUP +shadow-usermod
   DEPENDS+=+@SHADOW_UTILS_USE_PAM
-  DEPENDS+=+linux-pam
-  DEPENDS+=+passwdqc
+  DEPENDS+=+@USERMNGR_SECURITY_HARDENING:BUSYBOX_CONFIG_PAM
+  DEPENDS+=+USERMNGR_SECURITY_HARDENING:linux-pam
+  DEPENDS+=+USERMNGR_SECURITY_HARDENING:passwdqc
   TITLE:=Package to add Device.Users. datamodel support
 endef
 
@@ -41,6 +42,10 @@ define Package/usermngr/description
   Package to add Device.Users. datamodel support
 endef
 
+define Package/$(PKG_NAME)/config
+        source "$(SOURCE)/Config.in"
+endef
+
 ifeq ($(LOCAL_DEV),1)
 define Build/Prepare
 	$(CP) -rf ~/git/usermngr/* $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/
@@ -55,6 +60,10 @@ define Package/usermngr/install
 	$(INSTALL_DIR) $(1)/usr/sbin
 	$(INSTALL_BIN) ./files/etc/uci-defaults/91-sync-shells $(1)/etc/uci-defaults/
 	$(INSTALL_BIN) ./files/etc/uci-defaults/91-sync-roles $(1)/etc/uci-defaults/
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_USERMNGR_SECURITY_HARDENING),y)
+	$(INSTALL_BIN) ./files/etc/uci-defaults/91-security-hardening $(1)/etc/uci-defaults/
+	$(INSTALL_BIN) ./files/etc/uci-defaults/91-set-ssh-pam $(1)/etc/uci-defaults/
+endif
 	$(INSTALL_BIN) ./files/etc/init.d/users $(1)/etc/init.d/users
 	$(INSTALL_BIN) ./files/etc/config/users $(1)/etc/config/users
 	$(INSTALL_BIN) $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/src/usermngr $(1)/usr/sbin/usermngr
diff --git a/usermngr/files/etc/init.d/users b/usermngr/files/etc/init.d/users
index 793f4c052..6dd23c5ac 100755
--- a/usermngr/files/etc/init.d/users
+++ b/usermngr/files/etc/init.d/users
@@ -6,11 +6,140 @@ USE_PROCD=1
 
 PROG=/usr/sbin/usermngr
 
+# List of required .so files
+REQUIRED_MODULES="
+/usr/lib/security/pam_faildelay.so
+/usr/lib/security/pam_faillock.so
+/usr/lib/security/pam_unix.so
+/usr/lib/security/pam_deny.so
+/usr/lib/security/pam_permit.so
+/usr/lib/security/pam_passwdqc.so
+"
+
+check_required_modules() {
+	for mod in $REQUIRED_MODULES; do
+		if [ ! -f "$mod" ]; then
+			logger -p err -t usermngr "ERROR: Cannot setup security policy, missing PAM module: $mod"
+			return 1
+		fi
+	done
+
+	return 0
+}
+
+write_line() {
+	local filepath="$1"
+	local line="$2"
+
+	echo "$line" >> "$filepath"
+}
+
+compare_and_replace() {
+	local src dst
+	src="$1"
+	dst="$2"
+
+	if [ ! -f "$dst" ] || ! cmp -s "$src" "$dst"; then
+		cp "$src" "$dst"
+		logger -t pam_policy_setup "Updated $dst"
+	fi
+}
+
+update_auth() {
+	# Write /etc/pam.d/common-auth
+	local tmp_file pam_file
+	tmp_file="/tmp/common-auth"
+	pam_file="/etc/pam.d/common-auth"
+
+	rm -f "$tmp_file"
+	touch "$tmp_file"
+
+	write_line "$tmp_file" "auth	optional	pam_faildelay.so delay=$faildelay_usec"
+	write_line "$tmp_file" "auth	required	pam_faillock.so preauth deny=$faillock_attempts even_deny_root unlock_time=$faillock_lockout_time"
+	write_line "$tmp_file" "auth	sufficient	pam_unix.so nullok_secure"
+	write_line "$tmp_file" "auth	[default=die]	pam_faillock.so authfail audit deny=$faillock_attempts even_deny_root unlock_time=$faillock_lockout_time"
+	write_line "$tmp_file" ""
+	write_line "$tmp_file" "auth	requisite	pam_deny.so"
+	write_line "$tmp_file" "auth	required	pam_permit.so"
+
+	compare_and_replace "$tmp_file" "$pam_file"
+}
+
+update_password() {
+	# Write /etc/pam.d/common-password
+	local tmp_file pam_file
+	tmp_file="/tmp/common-password"
+	pam_file="/etc/pam.d/common-password"
+
+	rm -f "$tmp_file"
+	touch "$tmp_file"
+
+	# for some reason setting to 8 makes passwdqc accept minimum 12 letter password with this configuration
+	# if we set it to 12 then we need atleast 16 characters and so on
+	# passphrase = 0 means no space separated words
+	# rest can be figured out from passwdqc man page
+	write_line "$tmp_file" "password requisite pam_passwdqc.so min=disabled,disabled,disabled,disabled,8 max=20 passphrase=0 retry=3 enforce=everyone"
+	write_line "$tmp_file" "password	[success=1 default=ignore]	pam_unix.so obscure sha512"
+	write_line "$tmp_file" "" 
+	write_line "$tmp_file" "password	requisite			pam_deny.so"
+	write_line "$tmp_file" "password	required			pam_permit.so"
+
+	compare_and_replace "$tmp_file" "$pam_file"
+}
+
+update_account() {
+	# Write /etc/pam.d/common-account
+	local tmp_file pam_file
+	tmp_file="/tmp/common-account"
+	pam_file="/etc/pam.d/common-account"
+
+	rm -f "$tmp_file"
+	touch "$tmp_file"
+
+	write_line "$tmp_file" "account 	required       		pam_faillock.so"
+	write_line "$tmp_file" "account		[success=1 new_authtok_reqd=done default=ignore]	pam_unix.so"
+	write_line "$tmp_file" ""
+	write_line "$tmp_file" "account		requisite		pam_deny.so"
+	write_line "$tmp_file" "account		required		pam_permit.so"
+
+	compare_and_replace "$tmp_file" "$pam_file"
+}
+
+handle_security_policy() {
+	local enable faildelay faillock_lockout_time faillock_attempts faildelay_usec
+
+	# Read UCI values
+	enable="$(uci -q get users.security_policy.enable)"
+	faildelay="$(uci -q get users.security_policy.fail_delay)"
+	faillock_lockout_time="$(uci -q get users.security_policy.faillock_lockout_time)"
+	faillock_attempts="$(uci -q get users.security_policy.faillock_attempts)"
+
+	# if it is not enabled we do not touch the pam files
+	[ "$enable" = "1" ] || return
+
+	# if any .so files are missing, then we cannot setup security
+	if ! check_required_modules; then
+		return
+	fi
+		
+	[ -n "$faildelay" ] || faildelay=3
+	[ -n "$faillock_attempts" ] || faillock_attempts=6
+	[ -n "$faillock_lockout_time" ] || faillock_lockout_time=300
+	# Convert seconds to microseconds for pam_faildelay
+	faildelay_usec=$((faildelay * 1000000))
+
+	update_auth
+	update_account
+	update_password
+}
+
 start_service() {
 	local loglevel
 
 	loglevel="$(uci -q get users.users.loglevel)"
 
+	handle_security_policy
+
 	procd_open_instance usermngr
 	procd_set_param command $PROG
 
diff --git a/usermngr/files/etc/uci-defaults/91-security-hardening b/usermngr/files/etc/uci-defaults/91-security-hardening
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cdf209b69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/usermngr/files/etc/uci-defaults/91-security-hardening
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+if ! uci -q get users.security_policy; then
+	uci -q set users.security_policy='security_policy'
+	uci -q set users.security_policy.enable='1'
+	uci -q set users.security_policy.fail_delay='3'
+	uci -q set users.security_policy.faillock_attempts='6'
+	uci -q set users.security_policy.faillock_lockout_time='300'
+fi
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/usermngr/files/etc/uci-defaults/91-set-ssh-pam b/usermngr/files/etc/uci-defaults/91-set-ssh-pam
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6755041f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/usermngr/files/etc/uci-defaults/91-set-ssh-pam
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+if [ -f /etc/config/sshd ]; then
+	uci -q set sshd.@sshd[0].UsePAM=1
+fi
+
+exit 0