Compromised Credentials Persist as Data Breaches' Root Cause

Compromised logon credentials are the root cause of most data breaches, especially because users tend to reuse passwords, says Vikas Malhotra, India country manager at LastPass.

See Also: Definitive Guide to Password Management for Small Businesses

"We tend to have the same set of passwords across all our digital footprint," he says. "We are bringing that weak password hygiene behavior into our personal world and our corporate world."

Not that users should be expected to behave otherwise: Multiple unique and strong passwords are a cognitive burden on humans.

"Breaches are rampant and will continue to grow," Malhotra says. "There is a lot of investment that businesses are doing in advanced technologies, people, process and consulting. But at the same time, threat actors are compromising the vulnerability around password management and credentials."

In an interview with Information Security Media Group at ISMG's Cybersecurity Summit in Bengaluru, Malhotra also discusses:

• How weak password management is putting businesses at risk;
• Why passwords are not going anywhere anytime soon;
• What the future of passwordless authentication and identity management looks like.

Malhotra has over two decades of experience in sales leadership, planning, distribution and client management. His specialties include strategy planning, sales budgeting, business partnerships, business development, sales operations, market intelligence and channel sales. He has previously worked with NTT DATA Americas, Oracle India, Symantec Software Solutions and Wipro, among other companies.