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.
Microsoft is working to resolve an Exchange Online issue causing email access problems for Outlook mobile users who use Hybrid Modern Authentication (HMA). [...]
Popular password manager plugins for web browsers have been found susceptible to clickjacking security vulnerabilities that could be exploited to steal account credentials, two-factor authentication (2FA) codes, and credit card details under certain conditions
A new exploit combining two critical, now-patched security flaws in SAP NetWeaver has emerged in the wild, putting organizations at risk of system compromise and data theft
Healthplex, Part of UnitedHealth Group, Lacked MFA on Compromised Email AccountNew York State has fined a dental plan administrator owned by UnitedHealth Group $2 million for failing to protect data with multifactor authentication and other issues related to a phishing breach that affected 90,000 people. It's the state's second fine against Healthplex for the same breach.