Account Lockout is a note-worthy security standard in windows, established solely to prevent intruder's access on systems. Account lockout prevents the breach, however it doesn't explain you the sources and causes for the actions explicitly. Unlocking the accounts for an unknown cause opens the gate again. The unknown cause could very well be a potential threat or a program with the expired credential. Also on the other side of the lock out action, the locked out account denies service for regular users and demands to raise a help-desk request. Next, a "brute force attack" intended for password hacking could lock out multiple accounts and this is now called as Denial of Service (DoS) attack.
New problems are created and we solve each of it through "JiJi Account Lockout Tool"
With JiJi Account Lockout Tool you know the reasons for the lock out before you unlock. The reasons help you in following ways
Account lock out policy should be balanced to ignore regular user mistake attempts. Please refer our tips on How to reduce account lockout helpdesk calls
If you are more concerned about security, You could also find the reasons for every individual password failure attempt
Account lock outs are signalled to administrators instantly. This draws administrators attention at very right time. Potential threats are straight away notified during its execution time. In other way, If a regular user is getting locked, the user not necessarily have to raise a request through calls, as Notification on JiJi Account Lockout Tool indicates the state automatically & instantly. This increases productivity.
Sources could mostly be an User, Program, Script, Service, Virus.
Regular user's mistyped password attempts is a source for lock out, which is not a threat. However if the count increases considerably, we can find the reasons and can revisit the account lock out policy
Scheduled Services / Automated scripts may be configured to use the credentials that have expired. Unlocking such accounts again could cause a lockout. Identifying the source is the right solution.
Conficker is a computer worm targets Windows by a dictionary attack on weak administrator passwords and thereby link them to a virtual computer that can be commanded remotely by its authors / hackers. Know more about conficker
Perceiving the significance, Microsoft provides option to find the source for the lock out, but it involves more efforts. Please refer our article about Identifying the source for lock out through existing native tools Its made easy in JiJi Account Lockout Tool and provided every essentials very handy.
JALT also offers services to unlock the locked out accounts.
JALT is a complete solution which signals account lock out instantly, reasons the locked out event, specifies the source and also unlocks the account.
"JiJi Account Lockout Tool improves the security standard and increases user productivity."