Overreliance on Passwords Continues to Compromise Data Security, Finds Thales
According to the 2020 Thales Access Management Index – U.S. and Brazil Edition1– four out of ten IT security professionals still see usernames and passwords as one of the most effective means to protect access to their IT infrastructure, even though most hacking-related breaches are a result of weak, stolen or reused user credentials. In fact, the vast majority of respondents indicate that their organization plans to expand the use of usernames and passwords, even though the limitations could pose strong security challenges. This is particularly interesting given the increased remote worker environment. This continued reliance on outdated security comes despite half of IT leaders revealing secure access management is now a priority for boards of directors.
Surveying 300 IT decision-makers across the U.S. and Brazil, Thales’s new research found that the majority (68%) of U.S. IT professionals revealed that unprotected infrastructure is one of the biggest targets for cyberattacks, ahead of cloud apps (58%) and web portals (52%). Pressure to implement digitally transformative technologies also is driving businesses to adopt solutions that are likely increasing their level of risk.