Password management best practices

Password management explained

Passwords form the first line of defense against various threat actors seeking unauthorized access to organizational resources. Password management is the practice of securely handling and organizing passwords for various online accounts and systems. It involves creating, storing, and updating passwords to ensure they are strong and resistant to password attacks. Effective password management helps protect sensitive information from cyberthreats such as phishing and credential stuffing.

Best practices in password management

To safeguard sensitive data and prevent unauthorized access, it is crucial to implement good password management practices. By adhering to good password management practices, you can enhance your defenses against various cyberthreats and protect sensitive information better. The best practices to follow in password management are listed below:

• Minimize the use of multiple passwords by using effective alternatives such as single sign-on (SSO) or password synchronization.
• Blocklist commonly used passwords by restricting weak or predictable choices, including dictionary words, palindromes, keyboard sequences, patterns, and consecutive characters from the username.
• Enforce password complexity requirements such as a minimum length and a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. This makes it more difficult for attackers to guess or crack passwords.
• Implement MFA for all your accounts to add an extra layer of security. This requires a second form of verification, such as a text message code or an authentication app, in addition to your password. Using a factor you possess (for example, a YubiKey) or something inherent to you (for example, biometrics) ensures that only you can access your accounts.
• Use a password manager if you find it difficult to remember all your passwords. Do not write your passwords anywhere, be it offline or online.
• Lock accounts after multiple unsuccessful login attempts to defend against credential-based attacks, such as brute-force attacks.
• Enforce additional authentication factors for endpoint logins to enhance security for remote and local access to Windows, macOS, and Linux systems.
• Automate access control decisions using a conditional access policy, which evaluates risk factors such as the IP address, time of access, device, and user's geolocation.
• Leverage the Have I Been Pwned API service to ensure users do not select breached passwords during password resets and changes.
• Eliminate password reuse by enforcing a password history policy during password resets and changes.
• Empower users with password self-service features by allowing them to reset forgotten passwords for their AD and cloud accounts without requiring the IT team's assistance.

Implement the best password management practices with ADSelfService Plus

ADSelfService Plus is an identity security solution with MFA, SSO, and password management capabilities. It provides a Password Policy Enforcer feature that allows administrators to enforce custom password policies that seamlessly integrate with AD's built-in password policies. These custom policies offer more granular control than AD natively provides, including intricate settings such as restrictions on custom dictionary words, palindromes, and character repetitions. In addition, ADSelfService Plus integrates with Have I Been Pwned to prevent your users from using breached passwords.

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