Watch out for Password Spraying Attacks…

by

August 13, 2019

The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued a warning to Network Administrators regarding an increase in Password Spraying attacks.

What is a Password Spraying Attack?

Pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s a brute-force style attack where a would-be attacker literally sprays passwords at a user accounts until one sticks.

By using one password at a time across multiple accounts the attacker is usually able to remain undetected.

Typical Targets

Attackers go after a wide array of targets including, but not limited to:

  • Webmail
  • Remote Desktop Software
  • Active Directory Federated Services
  • Cloud Services (i.e. Office365)

What to Look For

  • A high number of authentication attempts within a set period of time
  • Large numbers of bad usernames
  • High number of account lockouts within a set period of time

How to Stop a Password Spraying Attack

  • Implement multifactor authentication
  • Use complex passwords
  • Implement a strong password reset policy
  • Increase alerting and monitoring

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Carl Keyser is the Content Manager at Integris.

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