magazine

POWER UP YOUR
PASSWORDS
We Live Security’s experts explain how we work
to keep you and your business safe
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
More and more organizations are
becoming aware of the risks posed
by sloppy password security.
Most network intrusions (76%) are
attributed to hackers exploiting weak
or stolen login credentials such as
passwords - so it is clearly a problem
any business should deal with. Failure
to do so means workers might create
their own passwords which are either
not random enough or easily guessable,
opening opportunities for hackers to
exploit their accounts.
In addition, many computer users
make the mistake of using the same
password in multiple places, such
as using a password from inside the
corporation for a private account.
In that scenario, if a user’s password
is compromised elsewhere, it could
lead to a breach of your own
company’s systems.
And, of course, if just one employee
has their password phished or hacked,
online criminals could gain direct access
to your corporate network or
company secrets.
Computer users cannot be relied
upon to always create strong, hardto-crack
passwords, or to protect
them effectively from falling into
the hands of cybercriminals.
Fortunately, technology can help
with the problem.
Secure authentication can make
remote access to a company’s network
safe and hassle-free.
ESET Secure Authentication introduces
a two-factor, one-time password into
your users’ login process, meaning that
if their regular password is guessed,
cracked or stolen, hackers will not
be able to gain access to your most
sensitive information.
It works like this. Employees, upon
remotely accessing the company
network, receive a one-time password
on their mobile phones, either via an
app or, if the app is not installed, via
SMS.After its initial set-up, the app
does not require Internet access.
This password is then used to
strengthen the usual authentication
process. And because the one-time
password is unique, and is delivered
to the employee’s mobile phone,
hackers cannot ‘steal’ it. As a result,
the company data and assets are
protected against intruders, dictionary
attacks, password guessing and the
other methods hackers use to gain
access to business networks.
Out of the box, ESET Secure
Authentication provides native
support for a variety of Microsoft
Web Applications and Remote Access
systems. However, if you wish to
integrate it with custom systems
that’s perfectly possible too.
The ESET Secure Authentication
Software Development Kit has
a range of extensibility options,
allowing you to add two-factor
authentication to nearly any system
that requires authentication.
ESET SECURE AUTHENTICATION
SOLVES THESE PROBLEMS:
Static passwords that can be
intercepted
User-created passwords that
can be easily guessed
Re-use of private passwords
for company accounts
Passwords containing user-specific
data – e.g. a name, a date of birth
Simple patterns to derive new
passwords, such as “peter1”,
“peter2”, etc.
BUSINESS BENEFITS
Helps prevent the risk of
breaches with unique
passwords for each access
Protects from poor
password practices
Saves costs - no additional
hardware needed
Easy to migrate to and use
Two-factor authentication
provides peace of mind
Multi-platform support, including
leading mobile operating systems
Global technical support in
local languages
22 welivesecurity.com