# What role does credential protection play in industrial security?

- Link: https://www.agilicus.com/faq/what-role-does-credential-protection-play-in-industrial-security/
- Published: 2026-05-11T15:50:19+00:00
- Author: Don Bowman

Credential protection involves implementing technical controls to prevent attackers
from stealing or using authentication data, such as passwords and tokens. In Windows
environments, this includes using features like Credential Guard and disabling outdated
protocols like NTLM to prevent “pass-the-hash” attacks. Protecting credentials is
vital because once an attacker has administrative access, they can often bypass 
other security layers to take full control of critical infrastructure. Our [best practices guide](https://www.agilicus.com/white-papers/industrial-cyber-security-best-practices/)
explains these protection mechanisms.

For more information, see [Industrial Cyber Security Best Practices](https://www.agilicus.com/white-papers/industrial-cyber-security-best-practices/).