What it is
Authentication controls fail when organizations rely on single-factor logins, allow weak or reused passwords, leave administrative portals exposed without rate limiting, or disable monitoring around login endpoints. Missing multi-factor authentication (MFA), permissive password policies, and absent velocity checks all create openings for attackers to hijack accounts.
Why it matters
Account takeover remains one of the most common entry points for breaches. When authentication flows are weak, attackers can combine phishing, credential dumps, or automated stuffing attacks to gain access, escalate privileges, and pivot deeper into the environment. Regulatory frameworks increasingly expect MFA and monitoring, so poor controls introduce compliance gaps as well.
How to reduce risk
- Enforce strong and unique password policies, ideally backed by breach password checks.
- Require multi-factor authentication, especially for privileged users, VPNs, and remote access.
- Apply rate limiting, IP reputation filtering, and login monitoring to detect brute-force activity quickly.