Tom is employed by a respected financial institution. He uses a lengthy, intricate passphrase that would be extremely challenging to crack. With it memorized, he also employs it for his social media profiles and personal gadgets. Unbeknownst to Tom, one of these platforms had its password database breached by cybercriminals who then made it available for purchase on the dark web. Now, malicious actors are diligently working to link these leaked credentials to real people and their places of employment. Soon enough, a malicious actor will exploit Tom’s legitimate email account to dispatch a phishing link to his CEO.
This scenario exemplifies a common event involving unauthorized access where cyber attackers illicitly gain entry to an organization’s systems, jeopardizing crucial information and operations. This typically initiates with compromised credentials. We will delve into the reasons why preventing unauthorized access is incredibly challenging once it commences and why robust password security stands as the most effective deterrent.
What makes unauthorized access attacks so perilous?
Gaining entry to an Active Directory account within an organization represents a hacker’s ideal situation. They can execute social engineering attacks from a genuine associated email account or instant messaging service, interacting with other employees from a trusted account that evades internal security scrutiny. If the phishing messages are crafted skillfully, it might take some time before the deception is uncovered.
Adversaries may take control of an account with existing permissions or compromise a dormant or inactive account and endeavor to heighten their privileges from there. This enables them to access various sensitive information exchanged within the organization, such as confidential business strategies, financial details, intellectual assets, or personally identifiable information (PII) of employees or clients. The authenticity of the breached account boosts the success odds of these fraudulent operations.
Because these attacks involve the utilization of authentic user credentials, differentiating between authorized and unauthorized access becomes challenging. Attackers frequently imitate the conduct of legitimate users, complicating the identification of suspicious actions or irregularities. Users may remain oblivious to their compromised accounts, particularly if the attackers sustain access without arousing suspicion. This delay in detection empowers attackers to prolong their malevolent operations, intensifying potential harm and rendering remediation more complex.
Curious to discern the number of inactive and dormant accounts in your Active Directory environment alongside other password weaknesses? Conduct a complimentary read-only password assessment.
Real-life illustration: Breach in U.S. State Government system
A recent incident within an undisclosed U.S. State Government entity underscored the hazards of unauthorized access. A threat actor successfully authenticated into an internal virtual private network (VPN) entry point utilizing leaked credentials of a former employee. Once within the network, the attacker infiltrated a virtual machine and merged with legitimate traffic to avoid detection. The compromised virtual machine granted the attacker access to another set of credentials with administrative privileges for both the local network and Azure Active Directory.
Subsequent to gaining these credentials, the adversary navigated through the victim’s infrastructure, executed lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) queries against a domain controller, and obtained access to host and user data. The perpetrators subsequently advertised the compromised details on the dark web with the intention to vend them for monetary gain.
How frail and compromised passwords facilitate unauthorized access
Poor password security practices can significantly heighten the risk of unauthorized access. Employing feeble passwords that are easy to infer or crack simplifies the process for attackers to compromise accounts. Users select common base phrases and subsequently append special characters with uncomplicated structures to conform to complexity criteria like “password123!“. Such passwords are promptly guessed by automated brute force methodologies utilized by hackers.
An alarming number of establishments still uphold password guidelines that allow feeble passwords vulnerable to unauthorized access. Nevertheless, it’s vital to acknowledge that robust passwords can also fall prey to compromise.
Password recycling is oftentimes disregarded yet stands as one of the riskiest actions by end-users. When individuals reuse the same password (even if it’s robust) across various accounts, a breach in one service can unveil their credentials, easing attackers’ entry into other accounts. Should a cybercriminal obtain a user’s password from a breached website, they may attempt using it to achieve unauthorized access to their work-related accounts.
Enhance password security to deter unauthorized access
Fortified password security plays a pivotal role in thwarting unauthorized access attempts. Implementing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) introduces an additional layer of security by mandating users to provide supplementary verification factors such as a one-time password, biometric data, or a physical token alongside their password. However, MFA is not flawless and can be circumvented. Feeble and compromised passwords typically serve as the starting point for unauthorized access.
Enforcing stringent password criteria, including a minimum length of 15 characters, a blend of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters, heightens the complexity of passwords, making it tougher for attackers to infer or crack passwords via brute-force or dictionary attacks.
However, your enterprise also necessitates a mechanism to pinpoint passwords that may have been compromised due to risky practices like password recycling. A tool like Specops Password Policy continuously scans your Active Directory environment against an expansive list of over 4 billion compromised passwords. Should an end-user be discovered utilizing a compromised password, they are compelled to alter it, eliminating a potential avenue for unauthorized access.
Eager to explore how Specops Password Policy aligns with your enterprise? Reach out to us to initiate a no-cost trial.
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