Authentication

The fall of passwords

Sachin Raaghav

Apr 2010 min read

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  • 5 pain points you can overcome in AD user account management  
    Manual vs. automated identity life cycle management  
    Active Directory clean-up: Should you automate it?  
  • Maintain confidentiality of critical information by implementing the POLP  
    6 essential capabilities of a modern UBA solution  
    How can SSO help in reinforcing password security?  
  • Authentication vs. authorization  
    5 simple steps to HIPAA compliance  
    Smart strategies to provision and de-provision Active Directory  

Passwords are strings of random letters, characters, numbers, or lyrics used to verify users' identities.

These strings separate you from your finances, medical records, social media, and your entire virtual world. It is incredible how much power these seemingly insignificant characters wield over you and how much they can accomplish. In the digital era, how can a mere set of numbers and letters represent you? These passwords tell companies, digital sellers, and social media platforms who you are, much like your passport tells people what country you are from.

The idea of passwords is both remarkable and frightening.

It is remarkable that you do not have to be physically present to verify your identity before being granted access to digital resources. However, the notion that anyone in the world can impersonate you by figuring out your random string of characters is frightening. It is this very thought that has led to the fall of passwords.

Implementing modern technologies

Passwords are not secure because threat actors can easily acquire them through illicit methods, such as dictionary attacks, phishing, malware injections, and brute-force attacks. This drawback has gradually forced organizations to adopt modern technologies such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single sign-on (SSO).

MFA

MFA is an authentication method where a user proves their identity by going through at least two layers of verification. Using multiple factors makes it difficult for threat actors to compromise a user's identity, thus providing a greater degree of security.

To verify a user's identity, MFA security processes may leverage knowledge, physical factors, biometrics, geographic locations, or security codes. An example of an MFA process would be withdrawing cash from an ATM. In order to withdraw cash, a user must insert their debit card (physical factor) and enter a four-digit PIN (knowledge).

Advantages of MFA

  • Robust security
  • Scalable
  • Customizable
  • Mitigates the risk of password compromise
  • Meets compliance regulations

SSO

‌‌SSO is an authentication method that enables users to log in to numerous applications with just one set of credentials. Once you log in to the SSO solution, you do not have to do so repeatedly for every application. A common example of SSO is Google. With Google credentials, users can log into their YouTube, Gmail, and Android accounts.

Since different applications, services, and resources use different authentication protocols, SSO solutions can incorporate MFA processes to authenticate users. With the implementation of SSO solutions, the attack surface is reduced, making it difficult for threat actors to gain unauthorized access to endpoints. SSO's centralized management of passwords helps users overcome password fatigue, thus providing a better user experience and mitigating password attacks.

Advantages of SSO

  • Hassle-free way to access data
  • Low operational cost
  • Reduces complexity by being simple to use
  • Centralized management for all applications
  • Reduces the risk of credential leakage
Here's a tip: Using AD360, you can employ advanced MFA techniques, like biometrics, YubiKey, and QR codes, to verify users' identities. Enable users to reset forgotten passwords and unlock their accounts without involving the help desk—anywhere, anytime. With AD360's SSO feature, you can minimize password security issues, increase productivity, and ease identity management.

Data is one of the hottest commodities in today's market and the hottest target for threat actors. It is every administrator's duty to protect their organization's data. With the rise in data breaches and users using weak and repetitive passwords, administrators need to bolster their organizations' cybersecurity by deploying MFA and SSO solutions.

With the implementation of AD360's advanced MFA and SSO capabilities, you can bolster your organization's data security in just a few clicks.