Has The Security Industry Failed Its Customers?

While we still have passwords, make them strong and unique. We get that passwords can be annoying, especially when you have to satisfy some crazy policy that was designed to encourage security but instead ends up in the form of a sticky note on a computer monitor, among other bad practices. Until we figure out a better way to authenticate users, the password is all we have. Organizations need to educate users and implement policies that are easy to follow while encouraging strong and unique passwords across all sites.

Solve the password problems for your organization by providing users with an easy-to-use password manager. This helps users ensure they use both unique and strong passwords while removing the need for them to be remembered along with all the associated bad habits. Password managers, such as the one offered by LastPass, integrate with the Web browser and automatically generate and save passwords for users. This means that users only need to come up with one strong password to protect their vault. Many also offer enterprise-class options that allow for administrative account recovery and other must-have features.

Use two-factor authentication. As we've already outlined, most major breaches come via compromised user credentials. It's time organizations made passwords only part of the access scenario. Raise the bar on what it takes to access enterprise resources by adding a second authentication mechanism. Note that National Institute of Standards and Technology warns users to stay away from SMS-based solutions and urges the implementation of a solution that doesn't introduce unneeded friction to the authentication process.

Patch everything. Most organizations are good at keeping servers and traditional workstations patched. That said, the days of having complete control of what's connected to your network are long gone. Users will bring their own devices and connect them to work networks and applications and, in many cases, the patch level of these devices is unknown. Therefore, why not control access to sensitive data and applications and prevent the use of outdated devices and endpoints?

Review your backup strategy. The recent outbreak of ransomware attacks has proven that many organizations don't have an effective data backup strategy because, if they had, recovering from a ransomware-type attack would be as simple as wiping systems and restoring data from backups. If your organization would be down for days — not hours — from a massive data loss, then your backup strategy has major gaps that need to be addressed. Consider leveraging proven cloud technologies as an easy and secure way to ensure almost constant backup of important user data.

Finally, make your users paranoid. Not wearing tinfoil hats paranoid, but paranoid enough to trust but verify emails, documents, and other communications. The only effective way to combat the threat of phishing attacks is user education. I recommend that organizations routinely run internal phishing campaigns that are focused on educating, not shaming, users who fall victim. Of course, before you even think of running a phishing campaign, make sure you have covered the previous five security hygiene basics and verify there is a mechanism that users can use to report suspected phishing to security.