By John Leyden for The Register.
This story has been reproduced with permission.
Cyber-Ark Software's Enterprise Privileged Password
Survey looked at the use of privileged or administrative
(super-user) passwords that exist within most computer systems or
software applications. Examples include the root on a Unix server,
administrator accounts on a Windows workstation, and Cisco Enable
on a Cisco networking device. The survey of 140 IT pros shows that
such passwords are more common in enterprises than previously
thought and poorly administered, an oversight that creates a ready
means for malicious hackers to commandeer vulnerable systems.
Weak admin password security represents a well-understood hacker
risk but many firms are failing to take the threat into account in
their operations despite reports of widespread security breaches
and concern over the issue. Six out of 10 IT pros quizzed in the
survey said that their organization has been hacked. It's not as if
IT admins are unaware of the problem either – half of all IT
professionals are often or always concerned about passing
audits.
Cyber-Ark Software markets products that manage, log and update
privileged passwords so it has a vested interested in highlighting
the threat perceived by weak password security. Self-interest
doesn't necessarily invalidate the survey's findings, however.
The survey suggests that changing administrative passwords is
still a labour-intensive process that is too much of a chore for
many firms to bother with.
"Manually changing thousands of passwords across hundreds of
databases is simply impractical," an IT Executive from a Fortune
500-sized company told researchers working on the poll.
The survey concludes that privileged passwords are more powerful
but less likely to be changed, a factor which exposes enterprises
to heightened risk of hacker attack. Survey respondents reported
that 99 per cent of individual passwords are updated, however for
privileged passwords the picture is markedly different.
Privileged routers are never changed in 13 per cent of cases.
The survey found that computer passwords are even less likely to be
changed. Local workstation privileged passwords are never changed
in 21 per cent of cases, servers (13 per cent) and enterprise
software app admin passwords (42 per cent) are also never
altered.
"Privileged passwords come pre-loaded onto virtually every piece
of hardware and software in an enterprise. Simply put, these
super-user passwords are the keys to your kingdom, and yet they are
often left unguarded," said Adam Bosnian, vice president of
products, strategy and sales for Cyber-Ark Software.
© The Register
2006
