Is Your Password Putting Your AWS Cloud Data At-Risk?

Last updated: 16 May 2016

Enter your user name and password.

Did you know that this seemingly simple Many online passwordsrequest could be the downfall of your organization?  Despite the countless choices of alpha-numeric-character combinations, many employees continue to use the same login for most of their accounts or create a password so complex that they have to write it down in a notebook or store it in a file on their desktop or mobile device. Let’s face it, with so many online accounts, passwords are difficult not only to remember but also to rotate. Raise your hand if you are guilty of using the same static password over and over again.  People do it more often than you think without even realizing that reusing passwords makes the network you’re using more vulnerable to attack. Considering all of these variables, it’s no wonder that passwords are of great concern to organizations who worry about how easy it is for human error to compromise a seemingly secure login. Of these things, enterprises are sure: Hackers are fast. Hackers are smart. And, hackers love when we make these kinds of mistakes.

Two Forms of ID, Please

Businesses can protect access to company data with strong authentication. Also known as “multi-factor authentication” (MFA), strong authentication uses two or more different forms of identity verification—usually something you know (password or PIN) in combination with something you have (smart card or token). It’s an access strategy that provides users with secure access to enterprise data anytime, anywhere.

Your AWS Management Console and “Getting Carded” in the Cloud

For enterprises that use the AWS Management Console, multi-factor (MFA) authentication provides that additional layer of authentication that protects it from the vulnerability of password mishaps that put login information into the wrong hands. By incorporating MFA, AWS Management Console users not only have additional protection when signing-on to the Console or accessing AWS APIs, but also the reassurance that they are not putting their organization at risk with their password choice.

SafeNet IDProve

Convenient and portable, SafeNet IDProve OTP devices are user-friendly, time- or event-based  hardware  appliances that offer multi-factor (MFA), unconnected protection for your AWS Management Console. Available as a token or card, these hand-held devices offer secure, remote access with zero footprint since no associated software is required to use them. To gain admittance to your AWS Management Console, users simply enter their username with the numeric code generated by  the OTP device. The authentication server validates the code and access is granted. Plus, SafeNet IDProve one-time password devices can be enabled for all individual AWS Identity and Access Management users on your account.

SafeNet Encryption Solutions for the AWS Cloud Environment 

Gemalto offers a range of solutions for the AWS cloud environment—from virtual security appliances to tamper-proof hardware appliances—that allow organizations to demonstrate compliance with the strictest information regulations, such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, CJIS, BASEL II, SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley), and GLBA.

 OTPs: Here today, gone tomorrow

Whether hardware- or software-based, one-time password (OTPs) solutions generate a fresh password within seconds of each activation.  While the steps required to obtain an OTP may vary, the passwords generated are usually time- or event–based and can be easily incorporated as part of a MFA solution option for securing access your company data.

For more information on taking the next step of securing your AWS environment, download our Secure the AWS Cloud with SafeNet Solutions eBook.

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