Don Boxley, CEO and Co-Founder, DH2i, explains to Digital Journal why, despite other changes with technology, password control and maintenance remain as important as ever.
Boxley observes: “World Password Day is a day to acknowledge the pivotal role that passwords play in our digital lives. It is also a day that reminds us how prevalent cybercrime has become, and while creating strong and unique passwords and regularly changing them is critical, passwords must be considered a first-line, not the only-line, of defence.”
In assessing the robustness of different protective measures, Boxley fonds: “Historically, VPNs (virtual private networks) were considered a reliable line of defence against cyber threats, but their popularity is rapidly declining due to their limitations in terms of security, slow connection speeds, bandwidth constraints, configuration and management complexity, and high cost.”
One such approach is building processes that authenticate privileged users and grant them access based on their own identities.
As an alternative to the once mighty VPN, Boxleyputs forward: “On the other hand, Software-Defined Perimeters (SDP) are gaining popularity as a safer and more efficient alternative. Advanced implementations of SDP allow users to establish direct connections with application-level Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) tunnels, eliminating the involvement of third-party vendors in the data stream.”
As to how this works in practice, Boxley explains the intricacies of the technology: “With SDP, users have direct access to the data endpoints they need, without any intermediaries. In comparison to VPNs, only SDP can prevent lateral network attacks, enhance data transfer rates by up to 3x, and offer complete control over the data stream.”
In Boxley’s opinion, this approach is what most businesses need. He sates: “Bottom-line, bullet-proof passwords combined with SDP provide unparalleled security to eliminate cyber threats.”
It remains, says Boxley. That: “Passwords act as the first line of defence, while SDP’s advanced security features ensure only authorized users access the network and data endpoints, reducing the risk of cyberattacks, data breaches, and lateral network attacks on World Password Day, and all year round.”
