Week 8 Discussion – Password-Based Authentication
Name
Institution
Professor
Course
Date
Password-Based Authentication
It is customary for organizations to impose password complexity requirements to ensure that their users utilize strong and secure passwords. The prescribed criteria consistently blend upper- and lower-case letters, numerical values, and unique or specific characters. Implementing complex passwords mandated by organizations can mitigate the possibility of password guessing or cracking through brute-force techniques.
Including account lockouts and password expiration policies confers a safeguard to the system’s security. The implementation of account lockouts temporarily suspends an account following a specified number of unsuccessful login attempts, thereby preventing the persistence of malicious individuals engaging in guesswork and cracking actions (Demay et al., 2019). Password expiration policies mandate frequent password changes for users, decreasing the likelihood of a cyber attacker exploiting obsolete passwords. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is another verification method used with a password. Users need a password and a unique mobile code for this method. 2FA improves password security with extra protection (Bouchaala, Ghazel, & Saidane, 2022). Even with the password, access remains unauthorized without the secondary factor.
The recommended methods for addressing password-based authentication risks include Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Passwordless Authentication. MFA incorporates additional authentication factors like biometrics and something the user knows and has. Requiring multiple factors increases password-based authentication security. E.g., the user needs a password, fingerprint scan, and registered mobile device for authentication (Stallings, 2018). MFA is recommended for effective defense against password-related risks with multiple authentication factors. MFA balances security and usability for enhanced protection and user-friendliness.
A password manager securely stores and manages passwords. It provides a platform for generating strong passwords without needing to remember them. The manager encrypts passwords, requiring a master password or biometric authentication (Alajmi, 2010). A password manager promotes good practices and reduces password-related risks for organizations. It provides a secure and convenient password management solution for improved security and user experience.
References
Bouchaala, M., Ghazel, C., & Saidane, L. A. (2022). Enhancing security and efficiency in cloud computing authentication and key agreement scheme based on smart cards. Journal of Supercomputing, 78(1), 497–522. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11227-021-03857-7
Demay, Grégory, Peter Gaži, Ueli Maurer, and Björn Tackmann. (2019). “Per-Session Security: Password-Based Cryptography Revisited.” Journal of Computer Security 27 (1): 75–111. https://doi.org/10.3233/JCS-181131
Alajmi, M., Elashry, I., El-Sayed, H., & Faragallah, O. (2020). A Password-Based Authentication System Based on the CAPTCHA AI Problem. IEEE Access, p. 8, 153914–153928. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3018659
Stallings, W. (2018). Effective cybersecurity: Understanding and using standards and best practices (1st ed.). Pearson Education.
Reply to the Post:
The assertion that password-based authentication has been a conventional method for a long time is believable. However, the importance of password security and education was historically less pronounced than in modern times. Password security has improved over the years by increasing character limits, and using special characters in passwords aligns with best password practices for greater strength and complexity (Stallings, 2018). These steps boost password security by making guessing or cracking passwords harder. Using personal memories for passwords is interesting but may need to be more secure. Attacks can occur from determined individuals who can easily infer personal memories and associations aided by social media’s personal information. Changing passwords regularly is a good practice to reduce the impact of compromised passwords. Frequent password changes may result in weaker passwords, warn some organizations and experts (Sangrey & Wang, 2022). Multi-Factor Authentication is recommended. MFA enhances password authentication with extra factors: more security and harder access for attackers.
References
Sangrey, D., & Wang, P. (2022). Password change requirements and the effective strength of passwords. Issues in Information Systems, 23(2). https://doi.org/10.48009/2_iis_2022_103
Stallings, W. (2018). Effective cybersecurity: Understanding and using standards and best practices (1st ed.). Pearson Education.