Password Policy and Automation
Password automation is an essential practice that companies use to ensure data protection. Password hardening gets away with weak passwords. Password-based threats are a challenge for most organizations as they can invite failure. There is a need to introduce password hardening to help the organization safeguard its data from the hands of hackers. Accordingly, organizations can harden their passwords through the automated method of password hardening and the non-automated one (Stockle et al., 2022). The abstract hardening process comprises five stages: the extraction stage, where NPL is used to extract information, verification; transformation to a low level. Transformation to code and the implementation level. In password hardening, organizations take it to include automated and non-automated processes for maximum protection of their information. The process of password hardening without automation calls for regular password changes to ensure that the data is protected. The non-automated password hardening practices are seen to be less effective now. However, they are incorporated into the automated systems to ensure more accurate results.
Compare and Contrast Analysis
The development of non-automated password hardeners is a hectic process, as the developers have to engage in a lot of manual work to develop the system (McManamon, 2019). There is a need for the developers to create and develop a system that will ensure data protection independently. The non-automated process calls for manual work to ensure that data is protected. It leads to the creation of long and complex passwords that may strain the employees. However, the automated password hardener requires less manual work from the IT creators as it comes up with a system that requires little manual work. The development of an automated system is a lengthy but efficient one in detecting threats to a company’s security system. It is easier to adapt to a fast-growing organization as it allows for monitoring a large company. The non-automated method may fail to cover a fast-growing company’s data accurately. Rather, it is efficient for organizations that do not have a lot of data (Stockle et al., 2022). It would be a challenge for large organizations to automatically harden their passwords as it would be time-consuming and inefficient as they have higher risks of attack, hence the need for a system that can quickly detect weak, exposed, or breached passwords for maximum data protection.
The non-automated password hardening process requires periodic password resets. These can cause inaccuracy in passwords as the frequent changes in passwords can cause the employees to opt for easy passwords that can be easily memorable as they have to change them frequently (McManamon, 2019). However, the practice can be incorporated into automated password hardening, whereby the password is reset quite frequently while incorporating the automated process. The non-automated process can expose the company to attackers. The periodic rests cause friction for workers as they must have new passwords constantly. However, the automated process does not require periodic password resets and calls for reset only when a password is detected as weak, exposed, or breached. The automated process has tools that constantly check passwords against an updated database (Ronald, 2020). Therefore, the system has the ability to detect passwords that require change. In addition, password change only occurs when it necessitates change, unlike in the non-automated process whereby password reset is changed on a probability basis.
In maintenance, the automated password hardening process calls for automated responses, therefore, less manual work from IT. It allows for password filtering and monitoring that detects weak passwords that can call for breach or exposure, hence changing them. The system gets rid of the need to reset passwords constantly. The process of filtering for weak passwords is easy as the lifespan of a weak password is concise, and weak passwords are identified early through filtering. Password filtering exposes weak passwords that can call for breach and exposure to attackers.
On the other hand, the maintenance of the non-automated password is a hectic one and causes a significant burden. It requires a massive follow-up system to ensure that the system is protected from attacks (McManamon, 2019). The process requires the human resources to be constantly at their feet and requires a lot of manual work from the team, which is a hectic practice. Lastly, the system also causes user friction as there is a need to reset passwords constantly.
Conclusion
The automated password protection methods are more reliable and guarantee data protection with reduced manual activities. The automated process reduces the need for a company to constantly reset the password. The automated process can also cater to a big company as there are systems put in place that watch out for passwords that may need to be adjusted. It also reduces friction experienced by the employees, unlike in the non-automated systems where the employees are constantly frustrated. The automated passwords are also burden-free to the IT system as there is little manual work.
References
McManamon, B. (2019). An Automated Hardening and Security Monitoring Program for Linux.
Ronald, C. (2020). Security Automation for Windows Hosts: Hardening of Windows 10 Password Policy.
Stockle P., Grobauer B. & Pretschner A. (2022) Automated Implementation of Windows-related Security- Configuration Guides. University of Cumberland.
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Based on the article, Automated implementation of Windows-related security-configuration guides. Compare and contrast the level of effort required in hardening password policy with and without incorporating automation. Students should consider automation development, testing, and ongoing maintenance in their analysis.
Password Policy and Automation
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