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Insecure workforce accounts remain prime targets for cyber adversaries, with over 25% of logins still relying on passwords—18% of which have security vulnerabilities. Push Security introduces Strong Password Enforcement and MFA Enforcement via its browser agent, ensuring secure authentication across managed and unmanaged apps.
🔗 Read more: Push Security Blog – Strong Password & MFA Enforcement
You Should Know:
1. Enforcing Strong Passwords in Linux & Windows
Linux (Using `passwd` & `chage`):
<h1>Force password complexity (PAM)</h1> sudo vi /etc/pam.d/common-password <h1>Add: password requisite pam_pwquality.so retry=3 minlen=12 difok=3 ucredit=-1 lcredit=-1 dcredit=-1 ocredit=-1</h1> <h1>Set password expiry</h1> sudo chage -M 90 -m 7 -W 14 [username]
Windows (Group Policy):
<h1>Enforce password complexity via GPO</h1> secedit /export /cfg C:\secpol.cfg <h1>Edit secpol.cfg to include:</h1> PasswordComplexity = 1 MinimumPasswordLength = 12 LockoutBadCount = 5 ResetLockoutCount = 30
2. Automating MFA Enforcement
Linux (Google Authenticator + SSH):
sudo apt install libpam-google-authenticator google-authenticator <h1>Edit /etc/pam.d/sshd:</h1> auth required pam_google_authenticator.so
Windows (Azure MFA):
Connect-MsolService Set-MsolUser -UserPrincipalName [email protected] -StrongAuthenticationRequirements @{State="Enabled"}
3. Detecting Weak Passwords
Using `hashcat` for Auditing:
hashcat -m 1000 -a 0 hashes.txt /usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt
Windows (PowerShell):
Get-ADUser -Filter * | Test-PasswordQuality -WeakPasswords "Password123,Welcome1"
What Undercode Say:
Passwords remain the weakest link in cybersecurity. While tools like Push Security’s browser agent streamline enforcement, admins must combine policies with regular audits, password managers, and phishing-resistant MFA (e.g., FIDO2). Linux’s `pam_pwquality` and Windows’ `secedit` are foundational, but automation (e.g., `hashcat` cracking audits) ensures compliance.
Expected Output:
- 25% fewer password-based breaches with enforced MFA.
- 90-day password rotation via
chage/GPO. - Real-time alerts for weak credentials using SIEM integrations.
Relevant URLs:
References:
Reported By: Kelly D – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
