Password Security - 4.6
Summary
Password security involves best practices such as ensuring password length and complexity, using password managers, implementing passwordless authentication methods, and granting just-in-time permissions through password vaulting to improve security and reduce the risk of credential theft.
Notes:
Password Best Practices
- Length: Passwords should be sufficiently long (typically 12-16 characters) to increase security.
- Complexity: Passwords should include a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters.
- Reuse: Avoid reusing passwords across different systems to reduce the impact of a potential breach.
- Expiration: Enforce regular password expiration to limit exposure to compromised credentials.
- Age: Limit how frequently users can change their passwords to avoid circumventing expiration policies (minimum password age).
Password Managers
- Password Managers: Secure tools for generating, storing, and managing passwords across multiple accounts. They reduce the need for memorizing complex passwords and can be implemented at both personal and organizational levels.
Passwordless Authentication
- Passwordless Authentication: Technologies such as biometrics (e.g., facial recognition, fingerprint scanning), PINs, or authentication tokens that allow users to authenticate without entering traditional passwords.
- Passwordless solutions reduce the risk of phishing and credential theft since passwords are not involved in the process.
Just-In-Time Permissions
- Just-In-Time Permissions: Temporarily granting elevated privileges only for the duration necessary to complete a specific task, reducing the risk of privilege escalation attacks.
- Password Vaulting: Secure storage of primary credentials, from which ephemeral (temporary) credentials are created and used for specific tasks, reducing exposure to sensitive passwords.
- Ephemeral Credentials: Temporary credentials that expire after use, ensuring that access rights revert once a task is completed, improving overall security.