Stay secure online with the latest on authentication techniques, best practices, and industry updates at the forefront of information security.
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Background for this topic.
Authentication confirms the identity of users or systems before granting access to resources, typically using factors like passwords (knowledge), hardware tokens (possession), or biometrics (inherence). It establishes trust boundaries that prevent unauthorized entities from impersonating legitimate users or devices within networks and applications.
Weak authentication enables attackers to perform account takeover, privilege escalation, or lateral movement by exploiting stolen credentials, phishing, or replay attacks. Deploying multi-factor authentication (MFA) with independent factors significantly reduces these risks. Secure credential storage, regular rotation, and monitoring authentication logs for anomalies are critical defenses to detect and block unauthorized access attempts early in the attack chain.
Multiple threat actors are compromising Microsoft 365 accounts in phishing attacks that leverage the OAuth device code authorization mechanism. [...]
Internet security watchdog Shadowserver has found over 25,000 Fortinet devices exposed online with FortiCloud SSO enabled, amid ongoing attacks targeting a critical authentication bypass vulnerability. [...]
NIS2 puts identity and access controls under the spotlight, with weak passwords and poor authentication now a compliance risk. Specops Software explains how to align password policies and MFA with NIS2 requirements. [...]
Passwords and app-based MFA add hidden costs through lost productivity, frequent resets, and risk of phishing and social engineering attacks. Token explains how wireless biometric, passwordless authentication eliminates credential-based attacks and delivers measurable financial returns by reducing login time across the enterprise. [...]