Learn about critical threats that can impact your organization and the bad actors behind them from Cybersixgill’s threat experts. Each story shines a light on underground activities, the threat actors involved, and why you should care, along with what you can do to mitigate risk.

In the current cyber threat landscape, the protection of personal and corporate identities has become vital. Once in the hands of cybercriminals, compromised credentials and accounts provide unauthorized access to corporations’ sensitive information and an entry point to launch costly ransomware and other malware attacks.

To properly mitigate threats stemming from compromised credentials and accounts, organizations need identity intelligence. Understanding the significance of identity intelligence and the benefits it delivers is foundational to maintaining a secure posture and minimizing risk.

There is a perception that security teams and threat analysts are already overloaded by too much data. By these measures, another stream of cyber threat intelligence will only further bog down their workflows and overwhelm their ability to take meaningful action.

However, when threat intelligence is contextual and relevant to the specific organization and its attack surface, the issue of data overload is removed. When identity intelligence is added to the mix, security teams can easily discover compromised credentials in the cybercriminal wild, and take preventive measures before damage is done. Here’s how.

Why You Need Identity Intelligence

Organizations are composed of individuals, each of whom can be a potential target for identity-related threats. Compromised credentials are one of the most common and effective ways for threat actors to achieve their goals, with millions of credentials being leaked and sold on underground markets annually.

The ways that cybercriminals get their hands on credentials vary. Phishing schemes – deceptive emails designed to trick recipients into divulging their credentials – in one way. Another method that’s gaining in popularity is Stealer Malware. Stealers are a category of malware that harvest credentials such as usernames, passwords, cookies, and other data from infected systems.

Other tactics include brute force attacks, where threat actors use tools to automatically generate passwords and then try them out one by one to access a user account, and social engineering tactics, in which threat actors manipulate users into giving away sensitive information. According to some estimates, by trying one million random combinations of emails and passwords, attackers can potentially compromise between 10,000 and 30,000 accounts.

Research shows that in 2022, the average cost of a data breach resulting from stolen or compromised credentials was $4.5 million, a number that continues to rise. Can your organization afford such a significant risk?

Robust security measures like multi-factor authentication (MFA) and consistent, stringent employee training and enforcement of data protection policies can help make companies less vulnerable to this type of threat. However, missteps happen. And when they do, security teams must be immediately alerted when any compromised access is discovered on dark web marketplaces. This is where identity intelligence comes in.

The Role of Identity Intelligence in Combating Identity Threats

With rich threat intelligence derived from millions of data points across underground sources in the clear, deep, and dark web, organizations can access rich data and intelligence about compromised credentials and accounts, and take preventive measures. As already stated, these leaked credentials give threat actors an easy entry point into the organization, impacting the business, its employees, and customers—individuals whose personal information can be compromised and sold underground.

Cybersixgill’s Identity Intelligence is unique in that it’s enhanced with machine learning and AI. It alerts organizations when credentials are detected as leaked or posted for sale, providing detailed context and information to aid in threat mitigation. In essence, we give security teams a streamlined view of their organizations’ risks, exposing identity theft, leaked credentials, including usernames and passwords, and typosquatting activity.

Using our threat intelligence, security teams can help determine the likely cause of the data breach and intercept the sale of stolen credentials and credit cards to protect employees and customers. Users can set up customizable alerts to notify them of leaked credential data on the deep, dark web from sources including instant messaging apps, IRC chats, and limited-access dark web forums and marketplaces.

Conclusion

Safeguarding personal and corporate identities is paramount in today’s cyber threat landscape, where compromised credentials can lead to significant security breaches and financial losses. Identity intelligence is a crucial tool, offering contextual and relevant threat data that helps organizations detect and respond to compromised credentials effectively.

With Cybersixgill’s machine learning and AI-enhanced identity intelligence, security teams can preemptively identify and mitigate risks, ensuring robust protection for both employees and customers. Ultimately, the strategic implementation of identity intelligence fortifies an organization’s defenses and fosters a proactive approach to cybersecurity, minimizing potential damages from identity-related threats.