UB6.C1.K1 Weak/Guessable Passwords

Configuring weak or easily guessable passwords poses significant security risks. Such passwords can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, and a wide range of cyberattacks. Here are the key risks associated with weak passwords and tools available in AWS and Azure for enforcing strong password policies:

Risks of Configuring Weak or Guessable Passwords

1. Unauthorized Access:
   • Brute Force Attacks: Weak passwords are more susceptible to brute force attacks, where attackers systematically attempt all possible password combinations until they gain access.
   • Credential Stuffing: Attackers often use previously compromised credentials in credential stuffing attacks, exploiting weak or reused passwords across multiple accounts or services.
2. Data Breaches and Data Theft:
   • Sensitive Data Exposure: Once attackers gain access with weak passwords, they can access sensitive data, leading to data breaches, loss of intellectual property, or exposure of personally identifiable information (PII).
   • Lateral Movement: In cases where attackers gain access to one account, they may use that access to move laterally within the environment, escalating privileges and accessing more critical resources.
3. Service Disruptions and Financial Loss:
   • Denial of Service (DoS) and Account Lockout: Attackers can cause service disruptions by locking users out of their accounts or overloading systems with repeated login attempts.
   • Financial Exploitation: Attackers can leverage compromised accounts to launch costly services (e.g., crypto mining) or modify configurations that result in unintended expenses.
4. Compliance Violations:
   • Weak password policies may lead to non-compliance with industry regulations like HIPAA, GDPR, or PCI-DSS, which require specific password standards for protecting sensitive data. Non-compliance can lead to fines, legal issues, and reputational damage.

Tools to Configure Password Protection Policies in AWS and Azure

AWS Tools

1. AWS IAM Password Policies:
   • AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) allows you to set password policies for your AWS accounts. These policies include requirements for password length, complexity (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols), expiration, and reuse.
   • You can enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) alongside IAM password policies for added security.
   • IAM also offers account lockout mechanisms after a specified number of failed login attempts.
2. AWS Cognito:
   • AWS Cognito provides user management for web and mobile applications and includes options for configuring password policies such as minimum length, complexity, and password expiration.
   • You can also integrate MFA and advanced security features like adaptive authentication to further enhance password protection.
3. AWS Organizations:
   • With AWS Organizations, you can centrally manage and enforce IAM password policies across multiple AWS accounts, ensuring consistent security standards.

Azure Tools

1. Azure AD Password Protection:
   • Azure Active Directory (AD) provides password protection that includes policies to prevent users from creating weak passwords and commonly used passwords.
   • Azure AD can detect and block known weak or compromised passwords, as well as custom banned password lists defined by the organization.
   • Azure AD Password Protection works across both cloud and on-premises environments when Azure AD Connect is used.
2. Conditional Access in Azure AD:
   • While not solely focused on passwords, Azure AD Conditional Access policies allow you to enforce requirements like MFA based on specific conditions, reducing the risk associated with weak passwords.
   • You can enforce conditional policies that require strong authentication methods, such as MFA, for high-risk users or when accessing sensitive applications.
3. Azure Policy for Azure Resources:
   • Azure Policy allows you to define and enforce organizational standards across Azure resources, including password policies for resources that support custom policies, such as virtual machines (VMs).
   • By creating policies that govern password complexity and expiration for Azure resources, you can help ensure compliance across your environment.
4. Azure Key Vault:
   • For resources that use credentials beyond user passwords, Azure Key Vault securely stores and manages secrets, certificates, and encryption keys.
   • By using Key Vault’s access policies and integration with Azure AD, you can manage access to these credentials, further protecting them from unauthorized access.

Best Practices for Configuring Strong Password Policies

• Enforce MFA: Always require multi-factor authentication for accessing cloud resources, particularly for privileged accounts.
• Implement Complex Password Requirements: Set policies for minimum length, uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
• Set Password Expiration and Rotation: Require regular password changes and prevent password reuse.
• Monitor Login Activity: Enable monitoring and logging of login attempts to detect and respond to suspicious activity.
• Educate Users: Regularly provide security training to users on creating strong passwords and recognizing phishing attempts.

In summary, AWS and Azure offer robust tools for configuring password policies, but it’s essential to combine these policies with other security measures, such as MFA and conditional access, to mitigate the risks associated with weak passwords.