EDITOR’S QUESTION
/////////////////
A
ccording to a recent PwC report,
80% of UK CEOs are worried about
the risk of cyberthreats to their
business, making it the issue they are most
concerned about.
Rather than living and working in a state of
perennial fear of hackers, businesses should
“
80% OF UK
CEOS ARE
WORRIED ABOUT
THE RISK OF
CYBERTHREATS
TO THEIR
BUSINESS,
MAKING IT THE
ISSUE THEY ARE
MOST CONCERNED
ABOUT.
36
INTELLIGENTCIO
modernise their approach to password
security best practices.
When it comes to security, humans are the
weakest link. According to a recent CybSafe
analysis of data from the UK Information
Commissioner’s Office (ICO), human error
caused 90% of data breaches in 2019.
This incredibly high percentage demonstrates
the importance of managing the risk
associated with human behaviour when
addressing cyberthreats. Employees using
weak or reused passwords across multiple
sites and services (including personal and
professional accounts) is one of the riskiest
forms of user behaviour an organisation faces.
In fact, the World Economic Forum found that
four out of five data breaches are caused by
weak/stolen passwords.
Although organisations have reacted to the
‘password risk’ and invested in cybersecurity
training to make sure they stay compliant,
they often overlook ways to help staff by
improving the experience of their users.
With Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) now
readily available, even small organisations
can introduce a cloud-based identity
system, so users will have a single set of
corporate credentials for applications,
networks and devices.
“
THE WORLD
ECONOMIC FORUM
FOUND THAT
FOUR OUT OF FIVE
DATA BREACHES
ARE CAUSED BY
WEAK/STOLEN
PASSWORDS.
Some even offer users a convenient, secure
password vault for personal applications as
well. These modern platforms allow users to
log in once to access all their applications
and provide them with the ability to easily
and securely manage their own passwords
and devices. They allow companies to
enforce strong password policies and MFA
while radically reducing the need for IT
help desks to manually reset passwords
or manage user devices. It also helps
organisations combat shadow IT by offering
fast onboarding of business applications
with a Single Sign On experience.
Password best practice isn’t rocket science
and plays a critical part in the security of
a business. Organisations must go beyond
traditional best practice methods and
look at the tools and solutions available
to create a process that both increases
security and improves the end-user’s
experience, making strong authentication
simple and seamless to use.
www.intelligentcio.com