What critical security failures did the FTC identify at GoDaddy that led to multiple breaches?

The FTC identified several fundamental security lapses at GoDaddy that contributed to multiple breaches between 2019-2022. Most notably, GoDaddy lacked basic multifactor authentication (MFA) for critical systems, which allowed attackers to gain access through a single compromised password in one incident that exposed 1.2 million WordPress customers' data. Other significant failures included improper software update management, insufficient security event logging, lack of network segmentation, poor asset tracking, and inadequate monitoring for threats. These gaps enabled attackers to install malware, steal source code, and access sensitive customer information including email addresses, admin passwords, database logins, and even SSL private keys - essentially providing complete access to websites and their data.