Passwords remain one of the most common and effective attack vectors for cybercriminals.
Contents
Despite years of awareness and evolving security standards, stolen credentials continue to play a central role in data breaches. According to Verizon’s 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report, stolen credentials are involved in nearly half of all breaches. Weak, reused, or compromised passwords create easy entry points that attackers exploit long before advanced security controls come into play.
This whitepaper from Specops Software provides a practical guide to auditing Active Directory for password-related security risks. It explains why password audits are a critical first step in strengthening identity security and outlines a structured approach to identifying and eliminating risky credentials across the organization.
Based on real-world password breach data and live attack analysis, the guide shows how even organizations with strong policies can remain exposed without continuous auditing and monitoring.
You will learn how:
- Weak and compromised passwords create hidden access paths into Active Directory
- Specops Software research shows many compromised passwords still meet regulatory standards
- Brute force and credential stuffing attacks exploit short and reused passwords
- Password reuse across personal and work accounts increases breach impact
- Auditing Active Directory reveals inactive, overprivileged, and stale accounts
- A three-step approach helps organizations audit, remediate, and continuously monitor password risk
- Continuous breached password detection reduces dwell time and attack exposure
The whitepaper outlines three essential steps to stronger password security. First, auditing Active Directory to gain visibility into weak, breached, and non-compliant passwords. Second, remediating risk by enforcing stronger password policies and resetting compromised credentials. Third, monitoring and managing passwords continuously to detect future compromises before attackers act.
It also highlights how tools like Specops Password Auditor and Specops Password Policy help organizations scan Active Directory against billions of compromised passwords while maintaining a positive end-user experience through dynamic feedback and secure self-service resets.
This whitepaper is designed for IT administrators, security teams, identity and access management leaders, and compliance professionals responsible for protecting Active Directory environments from credential-based attacks.
Download the whitepaper from Specops Software to learn how to audit Active Directory, eliminate risky passwords, and build a stronger foundation for identity security.
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