Have you ever counted how many times a day you access information by logging into a platform or system, or providing a password or keycode? In today’s digital world, passwords have become cemented in our personal and professional lives.
The first Thursday of May is World Password Day, initiated in 2013 by Intel to raise awareness of the role passwords play in our daily lives. Passwords remain at the forefront of digital defense, alongside other credentials such as API keys, tokens, certificates and other secrets.
According to the latest Threat Intelligence Index report issued by IBM, 30% of all cyber-intrusions stem from stolen credentials – making passwords and secrets a high-value target for attackers.
In this post, we’ll explain the crucial role secrets discovery can play in identifying and protecting your passwords and organizational secrets, securing your business against credential theft and follow-on attacks. Protecting secrets isn't just about better passwords or more complex policies. It starts with something even more fundamental – knowing where your secrets are in the first place.
The hidden world of secrets
In the modern enterprise, secrets are everywhere. While some are intentionally stored in secure vaults, many end up scattered across environments. For example:
- Hardcoded into source code
- Embedded in config files
- Written in email archives and internal wikis
- Left behind in development repositories
- Stored as plaintext in cloud object storage
- Shared over internal chat platforms or documentation tools
Passwords are not the only secrets organizations need to be able to identify and protect. Secrets refer to digital authentication credentials – the digital keys to the kingdom of your organization. Other secrets include passwords, API keys, tokens, SSH keys, private certificates and encryption keys.
The growing complexity of IT environments – made up of on-premises, cloud, Software-as-a-Service applications (SaaS) and containerized systems – and the growing reliance on digital supply chains makes it easy for secrets to be widely distributed, forgotten or misplaced.
When secrets are not properly managed, the consequences can be severe. According to IBM, 30% of all cyber-attacks are identity based with an 84% increase in the volume of emails delivering infostealer malware in the last 12 months.
Cybercriminals can use stolen secrets in several ways, including:
- Credential stuffing attacks using leaked passwords
- Privilege escalation using stolen access codes
- Data exfiltration via compromised encryption keys
Mitigating these risks is not only about ensuring secrets are protected today, but also developing processes that prevent exposure in the future.
Why secrets discovery matters
Before you can protect secrets, you need to find them. That’s where data discovery comes in. By uncovering where secrets are stored, shared and potentially exposed, data discovery enables organizations to move from reactive to proactive security.
In the context of security and data management, secrets discovery refers to the process of scanning environments – from end-user devices and on-premises systems to cloud storage and source code repositories – to detect passwords and secrets.
Enterprise Recon enables deep secrets discovery by scanning file systems, databases, cloud storage and other data sources for secrets and other sensitive information that may have been inadvertently stored or exposed. Its highly customizable discovery engine allows users to configure and detect everything from common access keys to unique internal credentials using tailored expressions.
Passwords and secrets, along with other sensitive data, often ends up in places it shouldn't, and Enterprise Recon’s ability to scan both structured and unstructured data ensures nothing slips through the cracks.
Empowering secrets management through discovery
Identifying secrets alone is not enough to ensure security. However, it is the starting point – the foundation – for effective secrets management, enabling businesses to:
- Identify all sensitive data and secrets across the organization
- Remediate exposed secrets and passwords
- Review access permissions across environments and teams
- Ensure compliance with industry standards like SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA and GDPR
Enterprise Recon supports secrets management through advanced features enabling classification, reporting and remediation through workflows designed for compliance and security.
Secrets are the keys to your organization
In a digital world where identity is the new perimeter, secrets are the keys to your organization. Secrets are the new goldmine for cybercriminals, providing easy access to organizations’ most valuable assets.
Unfortunately, you can’t protect what you cannot see. As such, secrets discovery is the essential first step in building a mature, resilient secrets management program.
This World Password Day, take a moment to evaluate where your secrets could be hiding in plain sight across your organization.
Need help identifying where your secrets are hiding? Arrange your complimentary data workshop or book a call with one of our experts today.
