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

Jul

24

Never expire passwords? Why we shouldn’t ditch password expiry just yet.

Resetting passwords via service desk tickets and support calls is an everyday burden on IT teams. Users are equally frustrated when the ‘time to change your password’ notification pops up during a busy work day – especially when they realize…
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Jul

19

Update to GLBA safeguards rule: What you need to know

Financial institutions are at the forefront of cybersecurity challenges due to the sensitive nature of the data they handle. As the frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks increase, so does the need for robust regulatory safeguards, requiring organizations to bolster their…
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Jul

10

Active Directory honeypot accounts: How to keep attackers sweet

Monitoring and detecting account compromise is one of the most challenging tasks for IT admins and SecOps professionals. Once a legitimate account has been compromised, it can be difficult to detect an attacker’s activities until it’s too late and damage…
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Jul

03

Kerberoasting attacks: How to keep your Active Directory safe

A domain administrator account is the holy grail of privileged accounts in a Microsoft Active Directory environment. If an attacker can get their hands on a Domain Administrator account in the domain, they’ll have access to basically everything. Kerberoasting is…
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Jun

26

Active Directory password hardening: How it’s done

Weak passwords are a problem waiting to happen – Verizon estimates that 80% of hacking-related breaches come from weak or stolen passwords. They’re the most common way for people to access their accounts and applications, making them an obvious attack…
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Jun

22

MFA prompt bombing: How it works and how to stop it

User credentials are golden prizes for attackers. Weak or breached credentials provide an easy target for attackers looking to log in to a network instead of breaking in. Most businesses have caught on to the fact that multi-factor authentication (MFA)…
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Jun

13

Six ways to apply the principle of least privilege to your Active Directory

The principle of least privilege is simple but important: it states that users only have the minimum access necessary to perform their job. For organizations using Active Directory (over 90% of the Fortune 100), this means the minimum necessary permissions…
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May

23

Guide to the PCI-DSS v4.0.1 regulations [Updated for 2025]

The PCI DSS compliance framework has been a staple in the cybersecurity realm for businesses handling credit card transactions. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard was developed to encourage and enhance payment card account data security. It helps define consistent security measures…
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Jan

24

Zero to hero: How zero-trust models protect against cyber-attacks

Perimeter-based security models were built for a world where corporate networks had clear boundaries—but that world no longer exists. Modern enterprises operate in hybrid environments with cloud services, remote workforces, and third-party integrations, creating countless entry points for attackers. The…
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Oct

12

How to configure the NCSC password list in AD

Passwords are one of the weakest links when it comes to ensuring that your environment is secure. Traditional user accounts and the associated passwords have long been the default security mechanism found in most environments. With the very advanced and…
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