How can you ensure your authentication system meets the latest security standards?

Token-based authentication technologies enable users to enter their credentials once and receive a unique encrypted string of random characters in exchange. You can then use the token to access protected systems instead of entering your credentials all over again. The digital token proves that you already have access permission. Use cases of token-based authentication include RESTful APIs that are used by multiple frameworks and clients.

Selecting an authentication method should be done in accordance with established industry norms, the security guidelines of the organization, the specific application's use case, and the sensitivity of the data at hand. Additionally, prioritizing a seamless login experience for users is crucial. Key factors include choosing from options like Password-based or Passwordless Authentication, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), or Single Sign-On (SSO) based on the unique requirements and considerations of the given scenario.

Choosing high-security authentication services is essential when it comes to building an authentication service, either for applications,network access, or even administrators of applications and devices. The authentication service should always be integratable with contextual sources, so secured and tailored policies can be applied

Digital account security depends on the choice of a strong authentication mechanism. One particularly good option is multi-factor authentication (MFA). In contrast to password-only systems, multi-factor authentication (MFA) provides more levels of security by requiring users to provide a password, possess something (such as a temporary code from a mobile app), and occasionally provide biometric data. Because attackers must compromise numerous factors, this multi-layered method greatly improves security

Selecting a strong authentication method involves considering factors like multi-factor authentication (MFA), biometrics, and encryption. Assess your specific needs, industry standards, and the sensitivity of the data involved. Regularly update and adapt your methods to align with the latest security standards and technologies.

La implementación de cifrado y hash es vital para la seguridad de los datos de autenticación, pero es solo una parte de una estrategia de seguridad más amplia y dinámica. Mientras el cifrado se enfoca en proteger las claves y gestionar su acceso, el hash asegura la integridad de los datos. Innovaciones como la integración de algoritmos de aprendizaje automático y la utilización de blockchain para la gestión de claves ofrecen formas avanzadas de protección. La adaptación a nuevas amenazas, como el desarrollo de cifrados post-cuánticos, es esencial para mantener la seguridad en un entorno en constante evolución. Creatividad e innovación son tan cruciales como la precisión técnica en la seguridad de datos.

My tips for you to be the best at implementing hashing: Select Strong Hashing Algorithms: Choose robust hashing algorithms, such as SHA-256 or SHA-3, for secure hashing. Avoid using outdated or compromised algorithms like MD5 or SHA-1. Salt Passwords Before Hashing: Always use a unique and random salt for each password before hashing. Salting helps defend against rainbow table attacks and ensures that identical passwords result in different hashes. Iterative Hashing (Key Stretching): Apply iterative hashing or key stretching techniques, such as bcrypt or Argon2, to slow down the hashing process and make it more computationally expensive for attackers.

Obviously check with NIST first. For the love of God use password salts (or peppers if your hardware allows for it). More formally, OWASP give the following guidance: * First choice: Argon2id (config: memory 19 MB; iteration count = 2; parallelization = 1) * Backup: scrypt (config: CPU/memory cost parameter = (2^17); block size 8+ (1024+ bytes); parallelization = 1) * Legacy: bcrypt (config: work factor= 10+; password limit = 72 bytes) * For FIPS-140 compliance: PBKDF2 (config: work factor = 600,000+; internal hash function = HMAC-SHA-256)

Existen vectores de ataques conocidos por como se guardan los secretos. La criptografía es vital, sin embargo, desconocer los métodos criptográficos fuertes, donde y como almacenar las llaves, llevan a generar riesgos sobre mecanismos seguros. La integridad de un secreto es crucial, por ende seleccionar una función hash débil o rota te aleja de ventaja de un hash (OneWay Function). Existen mecanismos que fortalecen un hash tales como salt y pepper (agrega un valor aleatorio antes y después de la aplicación del hash respectivamente), no son los únicos existen técnicas adicionales que fortalecen un hash. Org. como NIST, OWASP,... nos aportan con listas de métodos criptográficos / Hashes fuertes, así como, los rotos o con vulnerabilidades.

Assegurando a implementa??o adequada de criptografia e hash para proteger dados sensíveis e credenciais de usuário armazenadas no sistema.

Some practices for enforcing a password polocy: Complexity Requirements: Require passwords to be of a certain complexity, including a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Minimum Length: Set a minimum password length to ensure that passwords are not easily guessable. A common minimum is 8 characters, but longer passwords are generally more secure. Password History: Implement a password history policy to prevent users from reusing their last several passwords. This helps avoid the repetition of easily guessable passwords. Account Lockout Policy: Implement an account lockout policy to temporarily lock user accounts after a certain number of failed login attempts. This helps prevent brute force attacks.

Latest NIST standards encourage ditching password rotation or expiration policies in favor of encouraging stronger unique passwords. Studies show that asking users to rotate their password is more harmful than not because users will come up with weaker more memorable passwords.

This is a critical area for protecting networks and systems and yet we always run into many mistakes when policies are created. Most of the times, we run in very strict policies with long, complex password rules that will make employees life difficult therefore people tend to write things down on paper or on their laptop. Instead we should focus on better password management that are easy to remember yet very difficult to guess (such as passphrases) and of course keep educating users on password management. But it's important to find the right balance between security and experience.

In my option if you can do away with manual password creation is the best practice. Even the most seasoned professionals have the habit of reusing passwords or modifying them in a very simplistic manner. Passwords and policies need to meet FIDO and very strict password changes at least every 90 days and back up keys or tokens to keep current high standards. Dealing with sensitive data and making sure you keep your company safe and aren't the cause of reputation loss is very important if you want to protect your job and companies precious data and you will have the worst day of your life if a reused password is the cause of a breach. Yubico is a great option with a back up key is a great option and mfa.

Agrego 2 consideraciones sobre política de contrase?a segura a las ya mencionadas en este particular: * Contar con un Base de datos de contrase?as más comunes y vulneradas para restringir en la creación/modificación de nuevas contrase?as. * El tipo de usuario (administrador, de servicio, etc) es importante considerarlo en la aplicación de la aplicación de políticas de contrase?as seguras. Así también, hoy en día existe tecnologías como paswordless que eleva la seguridad, siempre y cuando, se aplica con los criterios correctos, de acuerdo al contexto de tu organización y con el conocimiento del alcance de la tecnología.

I strongly recommend to bring in a UEBA tool in the mix. In this super dynamic world, anamoly has become a norm and there is a barrage of false positives creating nuisance. UEBA will help weed out such events making the overall security posture less fatiguing yet more effective.

Este punto debe sumarse como parte de la estrategia de gestión y monitoreo de seguridad, operación y salud de infraestructura. Definir un estándar de logs requeridos de acuerdo a una clasificación de activos e información con el fin de establecer criterios para el correcto monitoreo de acuerdo a su criticidad y poder obtener resultados esperados. No es una estrategía one shoot, todo lo contrario siempre mejora en el tiempo. La herramientas de seguridad son muy importantes ademas de su automatismo en los procesos, sin embargo, debemos conocer que es lo que contiene mi proceso, quien hace, donde, cuando... para poder apoyarnos en una herramienta.

Realizando monitoramento contínuo e auditorias dos eventos de autentica??o para identificar potenciais vulnerabilidades ou atividades suspeitas.

Updating authentication systems is a critical facet of security best practices. Software vendors frequently release patches and upgrades to address vulnerabilities and security issues. Failing to apply these updates exposes organizations to heightened risks, as attackers may exploit unpatched vulnerabilities. Particularly, using versions that are end-of-life and no longer supported by vendors poses a significant threat. Establishing a systematic patch and upgrade management system is essential for timely updates, enhancing security, and safeguarding against potential risks to your organization.

MFA is over rated. MFA fatigue attacks are normally successful in large organizations, people are not very inquisitive when it comes to hitting "Accept" on the mobile phones. Password complexity of web facing pages and PAM solution for internal environment is a must. MFA should be there but again, that is not a full proof solution if you passwords are floating on the dark web.

Continuous monitoring of critical systems allows you the ability to identify gaps in security and compliance coverage of an asset. In addition, developing and implementing a business process for assurance allows for an proactive approach to identification and furthermore remediation of results from a scan of a particular authentication system looking at security config settings..

Some tips for you while reviewing and assessing your authentication system: Understand the Authentication Architecture: Start by gaining a deep understanding of your authentication system's architecture, including components such as identity providers, authentication servers, and user databases. Document Authentication Processes: Document the end-to-end authentication processes, including user registration, password reset, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and session management. This documentation can help identify potential vulnerabilities. Review Password Policies: Assess the strength and effectiveness of your password policies. Check for complexity requirements, minimum length, history restrictions, and other relevant parameters.

Realizando revis?es periódicas e avalia??es abrangentes do sistema de autentica??o para garantir a eficácia contínua das medidas de seguran?a.

Let's not forget the security of the authentication system itself. In the complex web of daily tasks, the SSH keys that are used (or should be used) to access your systems are sometimes neglected, and SSH key management might become a problem. So, more stringent best practices should be used to ensure the IAM to your authentication system is up to standards.