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Microsoft to Phase Out NTLM in Favor of Kerberos for Stronger Authentication

Microsoft to Phase Out NTLM in Favor of Kerberos for Stronger Authentication
Oct 14, 2023 Authentication / Endpoint Security
Microsoft has announced that it  plans  to eliminate NT LAN Manager ( NTLM ) in Windows 11 in the future, as it pivots to alternative methods for authentication and bolster security. "The focus is on strengthening the Kerberos authentication protocol, which has been the default since 2000, and reducing reliance on NT LAN Manager (NTLM)," the tech giant said. "New features for Windows 11 include Initial and Pass Through Authentication Using Kerberos (IAKerb) and a local Key Distribution Center ( KDC ) for Kerberos." IAKerb enables clients to authenticate with Kerberos across a diverse range of network topologies. The second feature, a local Key Distribution Center (KDC) for Kerberos, extends Kerberos support to local accounts. First introduced in the 1990s, NTLM is a  suite of security protocols  intended to provide authentication, integrity, and confidentiality to users. It is a single sign-on (SSO) tool that relies on a challenge-response protocol that proves

Google Introduces Passwordless Secure Sign-In with Passkeys for Google Accounts

Google Introduces Passwordless Secure Sign-In with Passkeys for Google Accounts
May 03, 2023 Password Security / Authentication
Almost five months after Google  added support  for passkeys to its Chrome browser, the tech giant has begun rolling out the  passwordless solution  across Google Accounts on all platforms. Passkeys , backed by the FIDO Alliance, are a more secure way to sign in to apps and websites without having to use a traditional password. This, in turn, can be achieved by simply unlocking their computer or mobile device with their biometrics (e.g., fingerprint or facial recognition) or a local PIN. "And, unlike passwords, passkeys are resistant to online attacks like phishing, making them more secure than things like SMS one-time codes," Google  noted . Passkeys, once created, are locally stored on the device, and are not shared with any other party. This also obviates the need for setting up two-factor authentication, as it proves that "you have access to your device and are able to unlock it." Users also have the choice of creating passkeys for every device they use to

Making Sense of Operational Technology Attacks: The Past, Present, and Future

Making Sense of Operational Technology Attacks: The Past, Present, and Future
Mar 21, 2024Operational Technology / SCADA Security
When you read reports about cyber-attacks affecting operational technology (OT), it's easy to get caught up in the hype and assume every single one is sophisticated. But are OT environments all over the world really besieged by a constant barrage of complex cyber-attacks? Answering that would require breaking down the different types of OT cyber-attacks and then looking back on all the historical attacks to see how those types compare.  The Types of OT Cyber-Attacks Over the past few decades, there has been a growing awareness of the need for improved cybersecurity practices in IT's lesser-known counterpart, OT. In fact, the lines of what constitutes a cyber-attack on OT have never been well defined, and if anything, they have further blurred over time. Therefore, we'd like to begin this post with a discussion around the ways in which cyber-attacks can either target or just simply impact OT, and why it might be important for us to make the distinction going forward. Figure 1 The Pu

SIM-based Authentication Aims to Transform Device Binding Security to End Phishing

SIM-based Authentication Aims to Transform Device Binding Security to End Phishing
May 24, 2022
Let's face it: we all use email, and we all use passwords. Passwords create inherent vulnerability in the system. The success rate of phishing attacks is  skyrocketing , and opportunities for the attack have greatly multiplied as lives moved online. All it takes is one password to be compromised for all other users to become victims of a data breach.  To deliver additional security, therefore, digital identities rely on verification plasters. MFA (multi-factor authentication) often falls back to knowledge factors such as password resets and OTP codes, but these are still vulnerable. As long as credentials can be shared or intercepted, they can be misused.  What is needed is a paradigm shift – from knowledge-based credentials to strong possession-factor security that can't be compromised, alongside other verification security such as biometrics. A new possession-factor API now aims to do precisely that, replacing knowledge-based credentials, by using the SIM card for possess

Automated remediation solutions are crucial for security

cyber security
websiteWing SecurityShadow IT / SaaS Security
Especially when it comes to securing employees' SaaS usage, don't settle for a longer to-do list. Auto-remediation is key to achieving SaaS security.

A Guide to Shift Away from Legacy Authentication Protocols in Microsoft 365

A Guide to Shift Away from Legacy Authentication Protocols in Microsoft 365
Oct 28, 2021
Microsoft 365 (M365), formerly called Office 365 (O365), is Microsoft's cloud strategy flagship product with major changes ahead, such as the deprecation of their legacy authentication protocols. Often stored on or saved to the device, Basic Authentication protocols rely on sending usernames and passwords with every request, increasing the risk of attackers capturing users' credentials, particularly if not TLS protected. Basic Authentication, while necessary for companies using legacy software, is unable to enforce MFA and is superseded by Modern Authentication. The legacy settings have been on Microsoft's radar to fix for years. In 2018,  Microsoft announced  it would introduce a series of changes — and ultimately deprecation — to its authentication controls as a means to help organizations mitigate the risk. These changes were set to take place over a number of years, and in September 2021,  they announced  that they will begin to permanently disable Basic Auth in all

What is AS-REP Roasting attack, really?

What is AS-REP Roasting attack, really?
Sep 02, 2021
Microsoft's Active Directory is  said to be used by 95%  of Fortune 500. As a result, it is a prime target for attackers as they look to gain access to credentials in the organization, as compromised credentials provide one of the easiest ways for hackers to access your data. A key authentication technology that underpins Microsoft Active Directory is Kerberos. Unfortunately, hackers use many different attacks against Active Directory's implementation of the Kerberos authentication protocol. One of those is AS-REP Roasting. So what is AS-REP Roasting, and how can businesses protect themselves? What is Active Directory Kerberos? Kerberos was originally developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and centered around using tickets to establish trust. Microsoft's implementation of Kerberos found in Active Directory is based on Kerberos Network Authentication Service (V5) as defined in  RFC 4120 . However, Microsoft has added to and enhanced Kerberos with it

Doctor Implanted 6 MicroChips Under His Skin to Unlock Doors and Secure Data

Doctor Implanted 6 MicroChips Under His Skin to Unlock Doors and Secure Data
Aug 21, 2017
Biohacking could be a next big thing in this smart world. At the beginning of this month, several dozen employees of Three Square Market (32M) received microchip implants in their hands during a "chip party," allowing them to log into their office computers, open doors, and pay for food and drinks, by simply waving their hands, AP reported . But, biohacking is already becoming common in Russia. It has been reported that a Siberian doctor has already implanted not one, but at least six microchips underneath his skin and turned his body into a multi-functional gadget for doing a number of jobs by just a wave of his hands. Alexander Volchek , who is an obstetrician/gynaecologist in a hospital in the Novosibirsk region in Russia's north, got his first microchip implant in 2014 and since then he acquired a few more and now has a total of six chips under his skin. However, Volchek does not want to stop here and hopes to implant a cryptosystem and a glucometer mic
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