Most data center managers rely on outdated security practices, according to Data Center Knowledge.

An increasingly growing number of news messages reporting widely discussed computer network hacks and massive credential leaks highlight the problems associated with using passwords for security. Users either choose simple easy-to-guess passwords or tend to use the same password every time there is a need to come up with something more complex. And it’s easy to see why: nobody wants to stuff their memory with long sophisticated passwords.

The good news is that cybersecurity professionals’ toolkit now includes many other security instruments that can either enhance or even replace traditional passwords. However, in a recent survey conducted by Data Center Knowledge and Informa Tech, only 50 percent of respondents reported using multi-factor authentication or network segmentation, 41 percent claimed having tested for protection against unauthorized access, and only 16 percent used zero-trust security architectures. At the same time, 78 percent of respondents mentioned using “strong passwords” as their preferred method of data protection.

Todd Matters, chief security software architect and co-founder at RackWare, said he is not surprised that data centers are lagging behind when it comes to enacting modern security technologies.

“Data center managers are torn every day between providing the high availability that’s required and trying to balance that with other security measures, a disaster recovery plan, and all the other things they have to do,” says Matters. “I’m actually surprised that the use of multi-factor is as high as 50 percent. I expected it to be a lot lower, to tell the truth.”

Wendy Nather, head of Duo Security group of information security consultants at Cisco, said she first heard about zero trust more than 15 years ago but had no idea how she would implement it then. In her opinion, the main reason why many enterprises still feel unenthusiastic about adopting modern security technologies is the fear that something will break. Yet, she expects to see more companies switching to zero trust architectures within the next 2-3 years as it is a truly transformative technology that can significantly lower the risks data centers are running. After all, it took Google seven years to figure out, so no wonder a lot of organizations are still moving in that direction.