Is your email secure? All it took patience, sophistication, and a password from the dark web for hackers to create a breach that cost more than $200,000.
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Recently, Citrix, a U.S.-based software firm, confirmed that the “international cyber criminals gained access to the internal Citrix network” and downloaded business documents and other files. The hackers gained access using a method called “password spraying.”
What Is Password Spraying?
Password spraying occurs when hackers use a list of common passwords to try to breach the system. They sometimes use passwords leaked from other breaches, according to Dark Reading, hoping that employee reuse their passwords at work.
How Do You Protect Your Organization from Password Spraying?
Nothing makes a stronger argument for more stringent password requirements for your employees than the results of this study conducted by the National Cyber Security Centre, UK’s independent authority on cybersecurity:
- 75% of the participants’ organizations had accounts with passwords that featured in the top 1,000 passwords
- 87% had accounts with passwords that featured in the top 10,000
Allowing your employees to set their own passwords puts your organization at risk.
Most people don’t want to remember numerous usernames and passwords for multiple accounts and programs, and many don’t feel confident in their ability to accurately recall that information. More so, they dislike having to regularly change passwords on individual accounts and being forced to forget previous passwords in exchange for new ones. To deal with this frustration, they tend to do one of two things (or both):
- Re-use the same usernames and passwords across multiple accounts
- Write down their usernames and passwords, and store them in their workspace (usually in a place that is easy to find, often on their desk or in a top drawer)
Learn a Lesson from Citrix
If you do not have strong password security and password policies, today is the day to change that practice. Passwords should be long, randomly generated, changed often, and only one layer in many of your overall security effort. You should also be monitoring the Dark Web. thinkCSC is here to help ensure your cybersecurity systems are strong and vibrant, to assist you in your preparation for and response to cyberattacks. Together, we can avoid the mistakes that are common among so many businesses and organizations, in the end becoming as secure as possible in today’s technological world.
thinkCSC provides Dark Web monitoring services provided through a strategic partnership with ID Agent, provider of Dark Web monitoring and identity theft protection solutions. With Dark Web ID, thinkCSC can now offer 24/7 monitoring of millions of sources, including botnets, criminal chat rooms, peer-to-peer networks, malicious websites, bulletin boards, and illegal black-market sites, to alert you of stolen or compromised data and passwords.
While thinkCSC believes that employees will always be the first line of defense against ransomware attacks, the only real solution is for leaders of all –organizations – businesses of all sizes, government entities, schools, hospitals, and –others – to invest in stronger IT security that includes offsite backup and recovery and managed security. These protections, combined with ongoing staff training, strict policies, and constant vigilance, are an absolute necessity in today’s cyber environment.
For new customers interested in information on obtaining our services, please contact us at sales@thinkcsc.com.
Ransomware happens, often with a momentary lapse of vigilance on the part of an employee or third-party vendor, but you can fight back.
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