Microsoft offers new Azure AD tool to nix easily guessed passwords
Predictable, easy-to-guess passwords are often the weak link that ends up breaking the security chain and attackers know this. “They know to account for character substitutions like ‘$’ for ‘s’. They also that if there are complexity rules, most people will apply them in the same way: by starting a word with a capital letter…
Young People May Shun Passwords, But That Doesn’t Mean They’re Less Identity-Conscious
Pity the poor password. Maligned for years, it’s nevertheless still hanging on as the dominant form of access and identity protection for online accounts of all types. Despite years of industrywide efforts to educate users about the importance of employing difficult-to-guess passwords, the list of the most frequently used passwords has changed little. One analysis of 10…
Beyond the Password Era: Changing Consumer Habits Signal the End Is Near
The death of the password has been rumored for years, but to this day it remains the primary way we identify ourselves online, with the average user now managing well over 100 accounts that require a password. Yet changing tides in the cybersecurity landscape, combined with evolving technology and consumer preferences, indicate that the end of…
Hacked for the Holidays: When You’re Asked to Fix the Family Computer
Whether hanging stockings, lighting candles on a menorah or gathering for an Airing of Grievances, if you are an IT professional visiting family this season, you will inevitably be asked to fix the family computer, tablet, smartphone or programmable thermostat while you’re there. As an introvert, I use the hour I might have to spend…