The proliferation of SaaS, web, and cloud-based tools in the workplace has changed how we work. No matter what the job, there seems to be an app or cloud service to make it simpler. While these tools enhance productivity, there are unintended downsides around security.
Most of these tools need a set of credentials for usage. According to Okta, the average company uses 88 apps. While each user only uses a few of those apps, there are still a lot of credentials for each employee to remember.
To manage this complexity, users take shortcuts. For example, they reuse passwords across services. They also use common phrases that are easy to guess. Many users don’t even try to make it hard on attackers — “123456” was the most common password of 2020.
Password Fatigue Puts Your Company Data at Risk
It seems like every day brings news of a new data breach. In fact, 2020 brought us 3,932 publicly disclosed data breaches that exposed 37 billion records, the most since 2005.
These breaches might be unrelated to your business. But attackers know that users are suffering from password fatigue and are using that fatigue to break into your systems.
Two of the most common methods for gaining access to corporate data are password stuffing and password spraying. Using these methods, the attacker takes a credential exposed from a known data breach. Knowing that credentials are often reused, they try to log in to your systems with the same username and password. This method is effective: 80 percent of cyberattacks involve weak passwords.
Account compromise can usually be traced to a weak or reused password. But other attack vectors stay prevalent. Social engineering, malware, and phishing can all enable attackers to access your network.
Geofencing with Citrix Analytics for Security Adds a Layer of Defense
The security strategy of many organizations has evolved to take on these challenges. A zero trust model has become a common way to approach these risks. This model treats each user, device, and application as threats, and access is only granted when the asset or user verifies their identification.
Citrix Analytics for Security is a cornerstone of many zero trust architectures. Continuous monitoring of users, devices, and apps helps find risky behavior. Automatic policy implementation helps stop data breaches.
Citrix is happy to announce the release of a new feature within Citrix Analytics for Security that further bolsters zero trust. With this new release, customers can enforce geofencing restrictions when users attempt to access your apps and data.
Consider that 30 percent of cyberattacks originate in China or Russia. Do a quick assessment of your organization’s employees, partners, and customers. No one located in those countries? Geofencing enables an implicit deny to all traffic originating from those countries. This simple implementation blocks all access requests from these areas, bolstering your security posture.
This custom risk indicator leverages data from Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, Citrix Gateway, and Citrix Content Collaboration. To start, enable these data sources within Citrix Analytics for Security. From there, turning on geofencing is as simple as the click of a button.
When access to Citrix Workspace is attempted from outside the geofence, an end-user response is initiated. A customizable email will be sent to the user asking for confirmation of the action. (Click image below to view larger.)
If the user doesn’t respond or confirms they didn’t request access, the request is treated as suspicious. Automated policies then kick in to prevent your data. This includes denying access, notifying the administrator, and placing the user in a watch list.
Get Started with Citrix Analytics for Security
Compromising an account is an attacker’s first step toward stealing your organization’s sensitive company data. Attackers take advantage of password fatigue to compromise accounts, using credentials from other breaches to access your company data.
Placing a geofence around users adds a layer of defense that can prevent account compromise. Citrix Analytics for Security further secures Citrix Workspace with this high-value, easy-to-implement capability. Geofencing is currently generally available for all Citrix Analytics for Security customers.
To learn more about this capability, check out our product documentation. Log in to your Citrix Cloud account to request a free trial of Citrix Analytics for Security.
