Description

This curriculum spans the breadth of a multi-workshop security assessment program, integrating technical testing, IAM review, and governance activities typically conducted during a targeted red team engagement focused on authentication resilience.

Module 1: Threat Modeling and Attack Surface Analysis

Identify all publicly exposed authentication endpoints, including legacy and third-party integrations, to assess brute force exposure.
Map credential entry points across web forms, APIs, and remote access services (e.g., SSH, RDP) for comprehensive coverage.
Classify endpoints by sensitivity level based on data access, user privilege, and regulatory implications.
Determine whether multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enforced on high-risk systems, and document exceptions.
Assess the use of default or shared accounts in operational systems that increase brute force success impact.
Document systems with no account lockout or rate limiting as critical risk nodes in the threat model.

Module 2: Vulnerability Scanning Configuration for Brute Force Detection

Configure vulnerability scanners to simulate low-and-slow brute force attempts to avoid triggering defensive mechanisms during assessment.
Select scan plugins that test for weak password policies, lack of lockout thresholds, and absence of CAPTCHA on login forms.
Adjust scan concurrency and request timing to mimic realistic attack patterns while minimizing service disruption.
Exclude production-critical systems from active brute force simulation unless explicit change control approval is obtained.
Validate scanner credentials for authenticated scans to ensure accurate detection of post-login vulnerabilities.
Enable logging of failed authentication attempts generated by the scanner for post-scan analysis and reporting.

Module 3: Credential Spraying and Password Guessing Simulation

Develop targeted username lists using organizational directories, email patterns, and public sourcing to simulate credential spraying.
Use common password lists (e.g., seasonal variations, company-branded terms) tailored to the target organization’s naming conventions.
Limit password attempts per account to stay below account lockout thresholds and avoid denial-of-service conditions.
Rotate source IP addresses or use proxy pools to bypass IP-based rate limiting during extended testing.
Track which username/password combinations generate different HTTP responses to detect potential valid accounts.
Document systems that respond with distinguishable error messages for valid vs. invalid usernames, enabling enumeration.

Module 4: Detection of Weak Authentication Controls

Verify the absence of account lockout policies after a defined number of failed attempts (e.g., 5–10).
Test whether lockout counters reset after a successful login or only after a time delay.
Check for rate limiting at the application, load balancer, or WAF layer and measure its effectiveness under sustained attempts.
Assess whether CAPTCHA challenges can be bypassed through automation or session reuse.
Identify systems that allow unlimited parallel login attempts from different source IPs.
Review password complexity requirements and expiration policies to determine susceptibility to dictionary attacks.

Module 5: Integration with Identity and Access Management (IAM) Systems

Review Active Directory or cloud IAM configurations for fine-grained password policies and account lockout settings.
Test whether federated identity providers propagate lockout status across integrated applications.
Assess synchronization delays between on-premises and cloud directories that could allow continued attack windows.
Validate that service accounts are excluded from interactive login policies but are still protected from pass-the-hash attacks.
Check for stale or orphaned accounts with active credentials that remain vulnerable to brute force.
Evaluate whether privileged access management (PAM) solutions enforce just-in-time access and session monitoring.

Module 6: Logging, Monitoring, and Incident Response Readiness

Confirm that failed login attempts are logged with sufficient detail (timestamp, source IP, username, outcome) across all systems.
Verify that logs are centralized in a SIEM and that alerts are configured for repeated failed attempts from a single source.
Test whether alert thresholds generate actionable events without overwhelming operations teams with false positives.
Assess log retention periods to ensure forensic capability after a suspected brute force incident.
Review incident response playbooks to confirm predefined steps for suspected credential attacks.
Conduct tabletop exercises to validate detection-to-response timelines for brute force compromises.

Module 7: Risk Remediation and Control Hardening

Prioritize remediation of systems lacking any form of rate limiting or account lockout based on data sensitivity.
Implement adaptive authentication rules that increase protection for logins from unusual geolocations or devices.
Deploy WAF rules to block or throttle requests exhibiting brute force patterns across multiple endpoints.
Negotiate exceptions for systems requiring continuous access (e.g., kiosks) and apply compensating controls.
Enforce MFA for all remote access and administrative interfaces, with fallback mechanisms securely managed.
Establish a repeatable process for retesting brute force protections after configuration changes or system updates.

Module 8: Compliance and Governance Alignment

Map brute force control gaps to specific requirements in standards such as NIST 800-63, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS.
Document compensating controls for systems where technical mitigations cannot be immediately implemented.
Include brute force resilience in audit checklists for internal and external security assessments.
Define ownership for maintaining authentication security controls across IT, security, and application teams.
Report brute force test results to risk committees using consistent severity metrics aligned with organizational risk appetite.
Update security policies to mandate baseline authentication protections for all new systems before deployment.