Today’s credential-based attacks are much more sophisticated. Whether it’s advanced phishing techniques, credential stuffing, or even credentials compromised through social engineering or breaches of a third-party service, credentials are easily the most vulnerable point in defending corporate systems. All these attacks key on traditional credentials, usernames and passwords, which are past their expiration date as a legitimate security measure. The most effective way forward in enhancing access security is implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Security professionals need control. In physical security this is often accomplished by limiting the points of entry, which allows security personnel to check IDs or have individuals walk through metal detectors. Before the explosion of the internet and web-based apps, the single digital point of entry was the corporate directory. Employees used a single set of credentials to authenticate and receive authorization to corporate resources and access business apps.