Password security attacks

Just a month after the Gawker hack that exposed 1.25 million users’ emails, a man has confessed to hacking the email passwords of dozens of women across the UK and the US to obtain compromising photos that he’d threaten to distribute widely. In addition, research issued today also found that 43 percent of social network users have been on the receiving end of phishing attacks designed to steal their passwords – further highlighting why simple password + username is not enough to protect individuals’ online identities.

In response to the latest hack, Christian Brindley, regional technical manager for VeriSign Authentication at Symantec, comments: “We’ve arrived at an era where we see constant reminders that the simple ‘username and password’ combination is an inadequate means of protection. We’re relying on a technology developed in the ‘40s to protect digital technologies and identities that are undergoing continual innovation. Consumers and businesses are both being targeted – with over half (54 percent) of enterprises reporting data security breaches in the past year. Strong authentication technology – which challenges potential intruders with a code that is ever-changing and only the user possesses – is an effective security guard for passwords.” 

To reduce the risk that antiquated access policies bring for consumers and businesses, a recent Forrester study commissioned by Symantec recommended the following steps be taken by IT security executives to protect all users:

Move toward implementing strong authentication now, and throughout the enterprise – not just for select applications

Ensure that open enterprise initiatives like SaaS access and partner access are protected at the same level as inside their organisation

Reassess strong authentication technologies to understand how today’s solutions, with mobile device apps that serve as low-, or no-cost credentials, fit within their security environment and budget. The cloud-based model drastically reduces the cost of ownership while increases adoption

Align strong authentication with their open enterprise landscapes, shoring up protections across cloud computing, SaaS, collaboration tools and mobile access initiatives