Martina Alberti

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Published: October 22, 2024

Outdated Passwords and Long-Lived Credentials: Top Cloud Security Threats in 2024

Experts warn that many companies are using passwords to protect their cloud applications that have not been changed for over a year, and sometimes even longer. Additionally, some organizations still have unused, old accounts that remain active, posing a serious security threat.

According to the “State of Cloud Security 2024” report by Datadog, despite frequent recommendations to regularly update passwords (approximately every three months, which is considered an industry standard), 62% of Google Cloud accounts, 60% of AWS IAM accounts, and 46% of Microsoft Entra ID applications use access keys that have not been updated for over a year.

On average, nearly half (46%) of companies have unmanaged accounts with long-lived credentials, which poses a significant security risk. The report emphasizes that long-lived credentials are difficult to control and often lead to data breaches. Most cloud security incidents occur due to compromised login data. To mitigate these risks, companies are advised to use modern authentication methods, short-lived credentials, and continuously monitor changes in APIs, which often become targets for attackers.

Long-lived cloud credentials that never expire are frequently exposed along with source code, container images, build logs, and application artifacts. This significantly eases attackers’ access to company resources. The problem can be addressed by shifting to biometric authentication, zero-trust architecture, and improving logging and monitoring tools.

Despite the overwhelming evidence of passwords’ unreliability, they remain the primary authentication method for most companies worldwide. However, leading service providers are actively promoting alternatives—such as passkeys, biometric authentication, and multi-factor authentication (MFA)—to strengthen protection and enhance data security.