What is a Brute Force Attack and how does it work?
A brute-force attack sounds exactly like it does. This is a method of trying to guess a password/PIN through trial and error. It might seem that this basic attack is impossible to win in today’s world. It shouldn’t. But it does. Many businesses fail to take effective steps against it.
Protect yourself from a brute force attack
The good news? You don’t need expensive software to defend yourself against a brute-force attack. These are the areas that you need to address to protect your website and business from such a threat. These include the default admin login panel and obvious usernames, too few admin users, weak passwords, blocking users who repeatedly enter incorrect passwords, monitoring your website’s traffic.
The default admin login panel
Open source is the basis of all major content management systems that are used to create websites. Any cybercriminal can easily find the default admin login panel by doing a quick search online. This can be changed in a matter of minutes. It will make your website more secure, particularly against brute force attacks.
Useful usernames
Your administrators may find it easier to organize your username in a consistent format. However, this will also make it easier for brute force attackers. To get the third, brute force attackers will need two pieces of information. They will need your login URL as well as at least one username. Your website will be protected if they are unable to obtain either one (or both).
Avoid using obvious names such as “admin” and close derivatives like “admin1”. This is a recipe for disaster.
Too many admin users
You should think of each admin login as an attack vector. You are more at risk of being attacked if you have more admin logins. You should determine the minimum admin user required for your website to function properly and issue only that many admin logins. A robust process must be established to ensure that admin logins are revoked promptly when they cease to be required.
Weak passwords
It is almost impossible to force people into using strong passwords. For example, if you give them a password but refuse to allow them to change it, they’ll end up writing it down or saving it electronically. However, you can encourage and motivate them to do this.
It is best to frame the issue so that they understand that strong passwords are in their best interest. You can, for example, point out that website attacks are detrimental to the company that pays their salary.
Two-factor authentication can be enabled whenever possible. This is not a perfect solution for login security. It is easy to compromise, especially if it is implemented via text message instead of tokens as SMBs do. This is for convenience and cost. However, it is a strong security boost and a great defense against brute force attacks.
Users who incorrectly enter their passwords repeatedly will be blocked
This is similar to changing the default admin panel. It’s a simple step that can make a huge difference in the case of a brute force attack. It is recommended that people are automatically logged out after being idle for a set period. While this won’t protect against brute force attacks, it can help you a lot to fight other security threats.
Monitor the traffic to your website
A website vulnerability scanner is a must-have for any business website owner. There are many options and each service has its own capabilities. However, any good product will include an anti-malware scanner as well as a site applications firewall. Both are necessary. You will need both a firewall and, preferably, a ping-testing server to defend against brute force attacks.
These can be used to monitor the traffic in your network. You may be able to spot brute force attacks as they are occurring due to the traffic that they generate. Although it is not guaranteed, it is definitely worth the effort.
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