Multi-factor authentication (MFA) requires authentication from independent categories of credentials: something you know (i.e. password), something you have (i.e. Mobile device), and something you are (i.e. Fingerprint). MFA enhances security when accessing resources on SaaS applications, and even during... Read More
Authentication
The father of password rules is sorry for wasting your time
Do you ever wonder why you have to add an uppercase letter or an exclamation point when you create a password? You can thank Bill Burr for that. In 2003, Bill Burr wrote password security guidelines for National Institute... Read More
3 passphrase best practices
A strong password is long and complex. Adding upper case, numbers, and special characters make it harder to crack. However, considering user behavior, complex passwords have proven too difficult to remember. To cope with complexity requirements, users default to... Read More
Credential stuffing – the password breach aftermath
RIP Passwords – the 2017 Data Breach Industry Forecast by Experian anticipates your demise. Until then, experts are predicting “aftershock” breaches. In 2016, there were 1,093 security incidents involving loss of sensitive data, and three billion credentials stolen worldwide.... Read More
What the password quiz taught us
In celebration of World Password Day we ran a password quiz that presented participants with five pairs of passwords, and asked them to pick out the stronger one from each pair. The results? Only 12% of participants answered all... Read More
Password Strength Meters – more harm than good?
Fact one, passwords are here to stay, at least for the near future. Fact two, users have not gotten any better at making them stronger, or using additional factors during authentication. To help users with this seemingly impossible task,... Read More
Claims-Based Identity: A Better Model for Authentication
Claims-based identity is a common method used by applications to obtain identity information about a user that another application has authenticated. Claims are pieces of information about a user that have been packaged and signed into security tokens and... Read More
Using claims-based identity to achieve multi-factor authentication
Claims-based identity in real life The claims-based identity model is a secure way to authenticate users for access but understanding how the trust relationship works is key. Instead of jumping into claims, security tokens and Identity Providers let’s talk... Read More