[byoung2]

The EXACTLY 8 characters worries me, because it suggests that they are storing the password in plaintext in an 8 character column.

[titusjohnson]

Probably stored in 9, 8-character columns, labeled "last_password_1", "last_password_2", etc, given #10.

[steve_g]

One 72 character column. Why make it complicated!