Over reliance on passwords compromises security

Hacker typing username and password

Four out of ten IT security professionals still see usernames and passwords as one of the most effective means to protect access to their IT infrastructure, even though most hacking-related breaches are a result of weak, stolen or reused credentials.

A new report on access management from Thales also reveals that a majority of respondents say their organization plans to expand the use of usernames and passwords, even though the limitations could pose security challenges.

Surveying 300 IT decision-makers across the US and Brazil, Thales' new study finds that the majority (68 percent) of US IT professionals say that unprotected infrastructure is one of the biggest targets for cyber-attacks, ahead of cloud apps (58 percent) and web portals (52 percent). Pressure to implement digitally transformative technologies also is driving businesses to adopt solutions that could be increasing their level of risk.

94 percent of respondents report that their organization's security policies around access management have been influenced by breaches over the past year. But despite that, more than half (58 percent) say they still allow employees of their organization to log on to corporate resources using social media credentials. Yet less than a third (28 percent) see social media credentials as one of the best tools for protecting cloud and web-based authentication.

"Innovation in access security allows us to overcome the reliance on passwords, which are proven to be insufficient in protecting data," says Francois Lasnier, vice president for access management solutions at Thales. "Organizations that utilize cloud-based access and passwordless authentication to scale secure cloud adoption will be able to meet the increased need for improved security, especially at a time when access control is critical for today’s remote workforce. The elimination of username and passwords as a sole method of authentication and broader use of smart single sign on will result in a greater level of security and convenience as more and more applications are delivered from outside the security perimeter."

Moving to the cloud makes it essential that applications are properly secured and nearly all (97 percent) respondents anticipate problems for their organization if this is not done effectively. 98 percent of respondents indicate that cloud access management is helpful in facilitating overall cloud adoption, and they want to manage access centrally. According to the report, two-factor (66 percent), smart single sign on (43 percent) and biometric authentication (39 percent) are viewed as the best tools for protecting cloud and web-based applications by US respondents.

You can find out more about the study on the Thales website.

Image credit: frank_peters / Shutterstock

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