picture of author marcus white

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

  • Finding Active Directory passwords set to never expire

    Passwords set to never expire can be a security vulnerability for your network. Here is how to to find Active Directory (AD) passwords set to never expire. Some regulatory bodies require passwords to expire every 90 days, while others recommend…

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  • Which authentication tools are users most comfortable with?

    Authentication is the first line of defense in any organization's cybersecurity strategy, but not all authentication tools offer the same level of security, convenience, or scalability. From traditional passwords to advanced biometric and adaptive authentication, businesses must carefully choose the…

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  • hacker running away with data

    How to stop different types of password attacks

    What makes users and organizations vulnerable to password attacks? A recent study indicates that user’s perceptions of password security might not always match reality. Many of us overestimate the benefits of including digits or special characters in our passwords, and…

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  • Password expiration policy best practice

    An effective password policy is a balancing act – security is vital, but ineffective if usability suffers. Users already have too many passwords so NIST tells us to make life a little easier for them. For example, don’t force them…

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  • What is a password dictionary attack and how do password dictionary attacks exploit weak passwords

    Imagine using the exact same lock and key for your front door as millions of others people. That's the reality of using weak or common passwords. In this blog, we'll explore how weak passwords are exploited via password dictionary attacks:…

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  • A smart alternative to SCCM

    Are you looking for a smart and simple alternative to System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)? Specops Deploy automates the installation of operating systems, software, and applications in your Microsoft Active Directory environment. Specops Deploy extends the functionality of Group Policy…

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  • Disallow special characters in Specops Password Policy

    Disallow special characters in Specops Password Policy

    In this post, we will demonstrate how to disallow the use of special characters in passwords, in this case Swedish character, by using the “regular expression” setting in Specops Password Policy. Before getting started, ensure that you have installed the…

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