Authentication

Having the correct permissions set up for every identity is a crucial step to take to secure the entire environment. However, if legitimate identities get compromised, all the efforts were in vain. Therefore, it is necessary that we verify that whoever logs in to a certain identity is who they claim to be. This is typically performed using well-protected credentials, such as a password or key.

With the number and scale of cyber-attacks increasing, we need to take extra steps to achieve an acceptable level of data security. Here are a few options:

• Strong password policies
• Encryption of user passwords
• Multi-factor authentication
• Firewall rules

The strength of a password can be increased by adding numbers or special characters, as they increase the complexity of the password and make it more resistant to certain types of attacks – mostly, dictionary attacks and brute force attacks. However, the exact impact of adding numbers or special...