Top 4 Secure Web Login Best Practices for Corporations in 2024

Business workflows rely heavily on web applications as they:  

• Aid supply chain activities via enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
• Provide a platform for sales. 
• Financial institutions employ online channels to conduct business. 
• Nearly every firm has a crucial web application located on-premises or in the cloud.

On the other hand, the internet is a dangerous environment where a cyberattack occurs almost every 10 seconds. Therefore, improving the security of digital platforms is critical for enterprises. This article will review the top 4 best practices that enhance online business security. 

1. Filter URLs and DNS

Filtering internet content allows organizations to restrict users’ and visitors’ access to the specific web material. The main rationale is to keep the user safe from phishing attacks or malicious websites. Furthermore, some businesses prefer URL/DNS filtering to keep employees away from time-consuming and bandwidth-intensive online activities like social networking platforms.

Internet filtering solutions are powered by web reputation services which measure a risk score for websites by considering: 

• The number of visits. 
• The threat history of the domain’s pages. 
• The age of observation.
• Location. 
• Related networks. 
• Internal and external links. 

Nevertheless, some filtering platforms allow manual blocking opportunities. The main internet filtering tools for businesses are firewall, secure web gateway (SWG) and secure access service edge (SASE) solutions.

• Firewall: It filters information on the internet subject to parameters like:
  • IP addresses
  • Ports 
  • Domain names
• SWG: It is a gateway that verifies the data transit between users and the internet complies with predetermined company standards. SWGs are effective instruments for promoting the least access principle, which restricts each worker’s access to data and ensures a zero-trust approach to cybersecurity throughout the organization. The following are some of the applications for SWGs:
  • Filtering URL
  • Encrypting DNS traffic
  • Monitoring and recording online history of users
  • Detecting malicious software
• SASE: It is a cloud-based cybersecurity system that integrates network and security services into a single platform (See Figure 1). As a security as a service component, SASE solutions often include firewall as a service and SWGs. As a result, they’re useful for internet filtering.

Figure 1: Components of SASE

2. Enforce users to create complex passwords 

Many people generate passwords that are short, contain personal information, and do not feature capital letters or special characters. As a result, brute force attackers that randomly guess passwords in the hopes of finding the correct one have a better chance of succeeding.

To improve cybersecurity posture companies should:

1. Enforce users to create a password that contains at least:
   1. One uppercase letter
   2. One lowercase letter
   3. One number
   4. One special character
2. Determine a minimum required character threshold to reduce the probability of hacking.
3. The login page should not indicate whether the username/email address or password is incorrect. Such information increases the chance of brute force attackers. 
4. Companies should enforce users to periodically renew their passwords.

3. Implement multi-factor authentication and limit session length

There is always a possibility of guessing someone’s password correctly. However, doing it twice or more consecutively is almost zero. This is the main rationale behind multi-factor authentication; adding one or more layers to the login process.

Multi-factor authentication tools cooperate with different tags that only the user can reach or know. For instance, when a company works with Google authenticator to ensure multi-factor authentication, users reach a code that they can see through their mobile phones. Similarly, banks send text emails to their customers, which include the password for the second security layer.

Setting specified thresholds for active sessions is another key security protocol that businesses should employ. Companies can require their users to re-enter the platform in this way, significantly enhancing the network’s security.

4. Store sensitive and regular data separately and ensure the least possible access

Storing company data in a single location and granting access to a large number of employees is risky. Almost 50% of executives believe that employee errors are the leading cause of a data breach at their firm. As a result, businesses should establish a hierarchy for their data (restricted, private, public, etc.), store it in distinct databases, and grant the fewest possible permissions to access it.

To ensure granular access, companies should adopt technologies that work with the zero trust principle, such as:

• Software defined perimeter (SDP): SDP hides web hardware from outside entities and hackers (DNS, networks, etc.). SDP can be thought of as an updated version of VPNs that decreases traffic latency and solves granular access issues. Due to SDPs’ superiority, 60% of firms have replaced VPNs with SDPs.
• Zero trust network access (ZTNA): ZTNA is an IT safety solution that allows for secure remote access to a company’s programs, data, and services based on specified control policies. ZTNA employs an application layer protection that adheres to the idea of least privilege. Thus, rather than granting workers access to all data on the network, it allows them to see only the data they require to fulfill their tasks.

Our sortable/filterable list of SWG vendors can help you choose the right partner for your business.

To find more regarding cybersecurity solutions, you can contact us: