Marcus White

Deployment

Security

Technical

Marcus is a Specops cybersecurity specialist based in the UK, with 8+ years experience in the tech and cyber sectors. He writes about authentication, password security, password management, and compliance.

Articles written by Marcus White

Feb

27

Botnet targets Microsoft accounts with password spraying attack

A huge botnet (network of private computers infected with malware) of 130,000 devices has been targeting Microsoft 365 service accounts across the world. First discovered by SecurityScorecard on February 24th, the botnet appears to be engaged in a mass password…
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Feb

24

HIPAA password requirements: Best practices for compliance

The digital transformation of healthcare has brought plenty of benefits, but it’s also introduced new challenges in protecting patient information. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) plays a critical role in ensuring that medical data remains secure. One…
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Feb

24

Navigating HIPAA cybersecurity requirements: A guide for healthcare providers

Healthcare data is a prime target for hackers. It often includes personal identifying information (PII), medical records, insurance details, and financial information, which can be used for identity theft, insurance fraud, and other malicious activities. The high value of this…
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Feb

20

Healthcare cybersecurity: How to prevent password sharing

In the high-stakes world of healthcare, where every second counts and patient care is paramount, the temptation to share passwords can seem like a minor shortcut. Professionals in the healthcare industry can find themselves navigating a delicate balance between ensuring…
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Feb

17

Cyber-attack incident response plan: Responding to a breach

Having an incident response plan is crucial in the wake of a cyber-attack because it provides a structured and systematic approach to managing the crisis. Without a plan, organizations may find themselves scrambling to respond, leading to confusion, delays, and…
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Feb

12

The power of love and breached passwords

When analyzing breached passwords from the Specops database, we often turn up some surprising trends and insights. For example, the unexpected prevalence of the word "love" in passwords and its significance across different languages and cultures. We'll take a look…
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Feb

04

AI arms race: How AI will be used by cyber-attackers (and defenders)

It’s no surprise that AI’s explosive growth in the last five years has also greatly expanded the need for sophistication and preparation from security threats. While artificial intelligence presents new challenges, machine learning and neural networks also expand security teams’…
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Jan

21

[New research] Learn what 1 billion+ malware-stolen credentials mean for your 2025 security to-do list

The Specops research team have launched the 2025 Breached Password Report, which contains analysis of over 1 billion malware-stolen passwords. The launch of the report also coincides with the latest addition of over 210 million compromised passwords to the Specops Breached Password…
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Jan

14

The future of passwords: Emerging technologies and trends

While some experts keep predicting their demise, the reality is that passwords aren’t going anywhere soon — they remain at the heart of how we secure our digital world. New security tools are emerging, but they're working alongside passwords, not replacing them.…
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Jan

07

Credential-based attacks: Key types, how they work, and defense strategies

Credential-based attacks remain a significant threat to organizations of all sizes. According to the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), lost or stolen credentials are the most common way for cybercriminals to gain initial access to systems. Google Cloud said…
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