Security News > 2021 > February > Enterprises average one root access orphan key on every enterprise server

Enterprises average 2.5 root access keys per server analyzed.

Root access keys provide the highest levels of access to machines; if a threat actor gains access to root privileges, they can access anything on a remote server, or on multiple servers if the server has been cloned.

Enterprises have, on average, more than 7,000 root access orphan keys, or at least one root access orphan per every server analyzed.

Root access orphan keys bring great security risks for organizations because they can create persistent back doors into networks that can last for months or years.

Enterprises average 2 duplicate private keys and one shared private key per each server analyzed.

"Unfortunately, we should expect these gaps in SSH key management to continue to grow as organizations move more workloads to the cloud where SSH keys are used for nearly everything. The only way to address these risks is to put in place a comprehensive SSH machine identity management solution that provides continuous visibility and leverages automation to enforce policies."

News URL

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HelpNetSecurity/~3/LfFkQhd0vB0/