The traditional method of authenticating to a network or endpoint uses a single factor – a combination of a username and password that the user enters to gain access. That approach is fraught with security problems, including the fact that users will generally use simple passwords that are easy for them to remember (and easy for bad actors to guess or determine through brute force techniques),...
Continue Reading →Tags: MFA, Multi-Factor Authentication, Biometrics, zero trust
Josef Stalin is supposed to have once said, “I trust no one, not even myself”. While murderous dictators are normally not reliable sources of useful information, this quote properly summarizes the essence of the Zero Trust architecture, which the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines as:
“The term for an evolving set of cybersecurity paradigms that move defenses from...
Continue Reading →Tags: MFA, Multi-Factor Authentication, zero trust
After attending the NACo Annual Conference this year and having the pleasure of speaking with hundreds of county elected officials and their IT teams, it was clear that the topic of cybersecurity was top of mind for everyone. The recent headlines about cyberattacks, especially ransomware on major organizations including Tyler Technologies, Solarwinds, the Colonial Pipeline, JBS, and Kaseya...
Continue Reading →Tags: IT Security, Cyber Security, IT Department, state and local
The use of passwords – the traditional method for employees and customers to access networks, applications, data sources and other elements of the IT infrastructure – is the most common method of authentication. They have the advantage of being easy to implement, they are cost-effective, they can be entered from virtually any device with a keyboard, and they offer...
Continue Reading →Recent cyberattacks have targeted hospitals, crippling systems for weeks and disrupting patient care. Over the past several weeks, hospitals in Ireland, New Zealand, and San Diego have been hit by ransomware attacks that have disrupted systems for periods lasting as long as several weeks. Ransom demands for healthcare breaches currently average $4.6 million.
Continue Reading →Tags: healthcare, secure passwords, Biometrics, Ransomware, ransomware attacks
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit a lot of offices, many organizations have migrated to a fully remote or a hybrid workforce. Regardless, a lot more employees and users find themselves in a more digital environment than before, so improving digital user experience has been a priority for some. Say, for example, you’re an average office worker or student trying to access your work. You wait for...
Continue Reading →Tags: Authentication, #bestpractices, identity management, PortalGuard, SSO, Password Security, SAML, Single Sign-On, Single Sign-On (SSO), #singlesign-on
On May 7, a cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline forced the shutdown of the East Coast’s largest gasoline pipeline, disrupting gas supplies for several days. Cyberattacks have become increasingly common and this latest breach highlighted the vulnerability of the country’s critical infrastructure.
Continue Reading →Tags: MFA, Multi-Factor Authentication, passwordless, multi-factor
The collective government sector, including state and local governments, municipalities, city councils, local law and federal, and other government entities continue to be a target for cyberattacks. Unfortunately, in 2021, there continue to be more cyberattacks, with more future threats on the horizon. According to a recent article on ZDNet, in 2020 the government sector had 16% of the total...
Continue Reading →Tags: #cybersecurity, MFA, #phishing, Federal Government, Biometrics, cybersecurity leaders, state and local
With the education sector being a large target for cyberattacks and having to face numerous types of threats, IT teams in school districts need to be aware of current threats and the future ones that are steadily approaching. As more schools are going hybrid in the effort to combat COVID-19, many threat actors are using a variety of techniques for cyberattacks.
Here is our cybersecurity outlook...
Continue Reading →Tags: #cybersecurity, Education, higher education, identity management, IAM, iam strategy, cyberthreat
