Password security in market research: Interrogare GmbH takes control of their credentials 

Weak passwords give attackers an easy entry point to access sensitive data and cause significant damage. The consequences can be severe: from data loss and reputational harm to financial losses or regulatory fines. In data-heavy industries like market research, where organizations handle sensitive client information, strong and reliable authentication measures are non-negotiable. That’s why Interrogare GmbH chose a specialized solution to enforce password policies in Active Directory — taking their password security, and the protection of research data, to the next level.

Interrogare GmbH, a leading market research firm based in Bielefeld with a team of 85 employees, specializes in high-quality, client-focused research. 

To maintain the necessary level of IT security, the company initially relied on written password guidelines and Fine-Grained Password Policies (FGPP). FGPPs are Active Directory features that allow organizations to apply different password requirements to specific users or groups. 

However, this approach proved insufficient. Managing FGPPs became overly complex, and securing high-privilege administrative accounts couldn’t be addressed effectively using this method alone. 

Password security requirements in market research 

The existing password policy was no longer sufficient to meet evolving security demands. 

An additional assessment using Specops Password Auditor revealed that compromised passwords were present within the environment — highlighting an urgent need for action. 

“Password security was a critical issue for us, as we handle valuable and confidential data every day,” says Christian Kämper, CTO at Interrogare GmbH. “A security breach would have serious consequences for both our company and our clients.” 

What Interrogare needed from a password policy solution:

For Interrogare GmbH, it was clear that any new password policy solution had to meet specific criteria — not only to address previous shortcomings, but to strengthen IT security in a sustainable way. 

“We were looking for a solution that would be easy to implement, simplify long-term management, and still meet the highest security standards,” says Christian Kämper. 

Ease of deployment and day-to-day administration were key, as was minimizing the need for extensive employee training, ensuring the rollout would be efficient across the organization. 

Flexibility was another top priority. The team needed to tailor password rules to meet different security requirements, especially for privileged accounts. Just as critical was seamless integration with the existing Active Directory environment to ensure compatibility and smooth operation. 

Strong passwords for long-term IT security 

“We needed a solution that would make our work easier while significantly improving our security posture,” says Christian Kämper. “Those exact requirements (combined with a successful proof of concept) ultimately led us to choose Specops Password Policy.” 

The team at Interrogare was impressed by the solution’s ease of use, streamlined integration into their existing IT infrastructure, and strong overall value. Implementation was smooth and completed in under an hour. A simple evening reboot of the domain controller was all it took to fully deploy the solution. “The clean interface and excellent support from Specops made the rollout incredibly straightforward,” Kämper adds. 

Managing strong password policies for maximum data and IT security 

Since implementing Specops Password Policy, Interrogare has seen a clear improvement in overall password quality. Compromised credentials are no longer an issue, and the IT team now has the flexibility to adapt password policies as needed. Most notably, the security of privileged accounts has been significantly strengthened. 

“Our passwords are now more secure and easier to manage than ever before,” says Christian Kämper. 
“Any organization using Active Directory should seriously consider Specops. The solution is well-designed, easy to deploy, and offers outstanding value.” 

The deployment of Password Policy at Interrogare GmbH demonstrates how choosing the right specialized solution can lead to major gains in both password security and administrative efficiency. With this setup in place, the company is now better equipped to meet its internal security requirements reliably and with less overhead.