Q&A
Cyber Defenders Assemble: Protect Your Entra ID
Security expert Andy Malone breaks down the current threat landscape, and what IT can do to arm them against the latest threats.
As cyber threats continue to evolve at an alarming rate, staying ahead of attackers is no longer optional – it's a necessity.
According to the recently released Flashpoint 2025 Global Threat Intelligence Report, cybercriminals have shifted tactics, with compromised credentials soaring by 33 percent to 3.2 billion in 2024 alone. Additionally, ransomware attacks have increased by 10 percent, fueled by the rise of infostealers and the exploitation of vulnerabilities. With organizations facing a hybrid and interconnected threat landscape, cybersecurity professionals must embrace proactive defense strategies to safeguard their identities, data, and infrastructure.
For IT professionals looking to bolster their defenses, Redmond is hosting a must-attend session, "Defense Against the Dark Arts – Building Rock Solid Entra ID Security Solutions," featuring internationally renowned security expert Andy Malone, at the upcoming Cybersecurity & Ransomware Live! virtual event. With years of experience in cybersecurity and a reputation for delivering insightful and engaging presentations, Malone will dive deep into the latest identity security threats and provide real-world strategies for defending Entra ID against adversaries.
Here's what Andy Malone had to say in an exclusive Q&A about today's biggest identity security challenges and what attendees can expect to learn at the event:
Redmondmag: What are some of the most dangerous “dark arts” cybercriminals use to target Entra ID today?
Malone: With multifactor authentication (MFA) (and even passwordless), MFA now boasts successful protection rates of over 99.9 percent and is now commonplace for most organizations. Many hackers are moving away from traditional password cracking attacks to focus more on AiTM (Adversary in the middle attacks), as well as ransomware delivery and hybrid cloud attacks, to name but a few.
You'll be showcasing real-world attack scenarios in your upcoming session. Can you share an example of a particularly clever or sophisticated attack technique that defenders should be aware of?
Threat actors are constantly looking for new ways to take advantages of potential weakness. A classic example is ransomware attacks in hybrid environments. These are often delivered via phishing campaigns and attempt to target an organizations data as well as backups. In my session I'll discuss the threats as well as offering some notable defense in depth solutions, including the need for solid defenses with immutable backups.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is often seen as a silver bullet, but attackers are finding ways around it. What are some advanced identity protection strategies beyond just enabling MFA?
Passwordless and phishing-resistant technologies have gained a lot of interest in the past few years and have helped identify weakness in traditional MFA methods such as SMS and voice. In my session we'll discuss best practices as well as numerous demos. In addition, I'll discuss other protection features including Identity protection, conditional access and the increased use of UEBA technologies in products such as Defender for Endpoint and Microsoft Sentinel can really help as an early warning system.
Cybersecurity threats evolve rapidly. How do you stay ahead of emerging attack trends, and what resources would you recommend for security professionals looking to do the same?
You may not be always able to stay ahead of the bad guys, but you must be aware of the current threat landscape and there are some awesome resources that security professionals need to be aware of. These include, but are not limited to, the CISA Cybersecurity Advisories, Cybersecurity Insiders, the hacker news and many more. Within most cloud security platforms, including Azure, Microsoft 365 and Google, security pros can find a threat analytics portal or tool which provides information on the latest threats and trends.
As AI and automation become more integrated into cyber defense, how do you see the future of identity security evolving in the next five years?
Greatly, AI is a great tool in the right hands, but potentially dangerous if used to attack. The challenges reside within the need for the use of ethical development that will benefit humanity rather than have a negative effect. AI within the framework of identity is already proving a major benefit for organizations as identity and authentication focus on who you are and what you have, as opposed to what you know. It's an exciting time and for sure the next few years will be interesting.
Get more insight from Malone by making your plans to attend Cybersecurity & Ransomware Live! May 13 to 15. Register for this exciting virtual event by March 28 to save $200!