MDaemon Technologies Blog

MDaemon's Dynamic Screening Blocks Hackers from Guessing Passwords

By Brad Wyro

Double exposure of businessman working with new modern computer show social network structure and bokeh exposure

 

If you have an email account (and in 2017, you probably have more than one), you are a target. More specifically, your email password is a target and a coveted prize for hackers. And let’s face it – hackers are not going away anytime soon. Because the barriers to entry are so low and the potential payoffs so large, hackers are more motivated than ever to try to steal your login credentials. As an MDaemon administrator, you are tasked with making sure your users use strong passwords, but here are a few things to consider when evaluating your password & security policies:

  • People often reuse passwords.
  • People tend to use the same password across multiple sites.
  • Hackers have access to a variety of password-generating tools that are freely available on the Internet.
  • Automated systems installed in botnets can crack complex passwords in a matter of minutes.
  • Password dictionaries reduce the effectiveness of password complexity policies.

To address these threats, MDaemon’s new Dynamic Screening features can be configured to track authentication failures for all protocols, including SMTP, POP, IMAP, WorldClient, and ActiveSync (among others). When a specified number of authentication attempts from a given IP address fail in a designated period of time, subsequent connections from the IP are blocked for a specified period of time. The affected email account can also be frozen - meaning the mailbox can collect mail, but the user cannot login to check email or send out email messages.

 

Watch our latest tutorial video to learn more!

 

 

In the event that a hacker or spammer still manages to guess an account’s password, MDaemon’s Account Hijack Detection feature will disable or freeze the account after a specific number of messages have been sent from an authenticated session in a given timeframe.

 

Do you have questions or comments? Let us know via the Comments section!

 

Tags: Email Gateway How-To, Cybersecurity, MDaemon Email Server, Email Server

Brad Wyro

Written by Brad Wyro

Brad has worked in technical and marketing roles at MDaemon Technologies, where he contributes as Content Marketing Manager. Brad balances technical and creative information to develop easy to understand videos and content to educate prospects and customers.

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