Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Microsoft’s Azure AD Sniffs Out Leaked User IDs and Passwords

    By
    Pedro Hernandez
    -
    June 16, 2015
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      Azure AD

      Microsoft’s Azure Active Directory (AD) Premium, the software giant’s cloud-based user identity management platform, is on the lookout for leaked credentials that potentially could gain hackers a foothold in their networks and lead to a bigger security headache.

      David Howell, partner group program manager for the Identity and Security Services division at Microsoft, announced late Monday that his group has rolled out a new reporting option named simply Users with Leaked Credentials. Currently in preview, the feature lists users whose usernames and passwords have somehow slipped out of their grasp.

      Leaked username and password combos are a major source of aggravation for businesses. “In aggregate, [tens] of millions of credentials are exposed every month,” blogged Howell. “Bad actors collect, sell, and share large lists of user account credentials from these breaches.”

      Since folks often reuse the same password across several services, one set of credentials can act as a master key, of sorts. “Because three out of four users re-use credentials across multiple sites, there’s a good chance that your users’ credentials are in those lists,” Howell cautioned.

      To help businesses avoid spilling their secrets or other valuable information, Microsoft has been trawling the Web for the telltale signs of leaked passwords. “As part of running our consumer and enterprise identity systems, Microsoft discovers account credentials posted publically and we are making this information available to you so you can protect your enterprise when your users’ account credentials are at risk,” revealed Howell.

      With this information in hand, Microsoft is now automatically alerting Azure AD Premium customers of the potential harm that can come to their environments. “The report surfaces any matches between these leaked credentials list and your tenant,” he said.

      Once clicked, the report displays “the users we’ve found and when we discovered the leaked credentials,” Howell said. To prevent a possible breach, he advises customers to implement multifactor authentication, a feature offered in Azure AD.

      Companies are increasingly relying on multifactor authentication, which augments user IDs and passwords with an additional verification method, such as a code delivered to a smartphone as an SMS or via an authentication app. In February, Apple extended its two-step authentication process to iMessage and FaceTime after rolling out the feature to iCloud.

      Microsoft Azure AD has supported multifactor authentication since 2013 by way of the company’s Active Authentication mobile app, a phone call or text message. Since then, the company has added the capability to several Office 365 plans.

      Additional layers of password security helps, but Howell also advocates user education. “Make sure your users have read and are following your corporate IT policies,” he suggested. Administrators can throw another wrench into hackers’ plans by giving passwords an expiration date, forcing users to update their credentials periodically. He noted that “enforced password expiration can reduce the amount of time a leaked credential remains viable,” giving intruders a limited window in which to stage an attack.

      Pedro Hernandez
      Pedro Hernandez is a contributor to eWEEK and the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals. Previously, he served as a managing editor for the Internet.com network of IT-related websites and as the Green IT curator for GigaOM Pro.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×