FEATURE complex passwords for dozens of sites and applications .
“ Compounding this issue is the fact that humans will always be the weakest link in the security chain ,” said Touhill . “ According to a 2019 survey conducted by the Harris Poll , 59 % of people have reported using the same password across multiple sites . I feel the actual number is closer to 100 %.
“ Chronic reuse of credentials makes all of their other accounts significantly more vulnerable , because a breach anywhere can quickly cascade to numerous compromised accounts .”
Touhill says there are signs that we are gaining real momentum towards a passwordless future . Well-established technologies like Multi-factor Authentication ( MFA ) rely on something you possess ( e . g . your smartphone ), something you know ( e . g . a password /
Brigadier General ( Ret ) Gregory Touhill , President of Appgate Federal
passphrase ) and an inherence factor such as biometrics , which taken together can ascertain your identity with a far higher degree of confidence than even the most complex password alone can provide .
“ Innovations like MFA become even more powerful when paired with modern security concepts such as a Zero Trust framework which turns the old ‘ trust but verify ’ model on its head and instead requires that any device , individual or resource that attempts to connect to the network must be authenticated before gaining access .
“ A software-defined perimeter is the centralised mechanism by which this framework can be established and enforced and serve as another lever that security teams can have at their disposal to mitigate these types of risk factors .
“ The marriage of modern authentication tools such as MFA with frameworks like Zero Trust provide organisations with the ability to deliver dynamic , riskbased controls to better secure your information . If you are still relying on passwords alone , you are generations behind best practices and might as well be wearing a ‘ cyber kick me ’ sign on your back ,” said Touhill . u www . intelligentciso . com
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