Yeh article ek cyber threat ke baare mein hai, jo 2024 mein bohot zyada breaches ka kaaran bana: stolen credentials.
Ismein 3 important numbers diye gaye hain jo current situation ko samjhane mein madad karte hain:
Yeh jo points aapne mention kiye hain, yeh bohot important aur alarming hain cybersecurity ke context mein. Aayiye, inko deep mein samajhte hain:
Stolen credentials ka use cyber criminals ne account takeover (ATO) ke liye sabse zyada kiya hai. Yeh credentials mostly password, username, ya session cookies hote hain jo attackers various methods se chura lete hain. Stolen credentials ka sabse bada problem yeh hai ki yeh easy access dete hain without requiring additional authentication measures (jaise MFA).
2023/24 mein, yeh attack method 80% web app breaches ka source thi, jo clear indication hai ki cyber criminals accounts ko hijack karne ke liye stolen login credentials ka use karte hain.
Yeh attacks bahut simple aur efficient hain: ek baar credentials mil gaye, attacker directly user ke account mein log in kar sakta hai aur data exfiltrate ya modify kar sakta hai.
Agar app pe MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) nahi ho toh attackers easily account ko take over kar lete hain. MFA ek extra layer of security hai jo ek password ke alawa ek aur factor chahti hai (jaise OTP, biometric verification, etc.), lekin bohot saari organizations isse neglect kar rahi hain, jo attacks ko aur aasan bana deta hai.
Cybersecurity budgets ka increase ek important trend hai, jo dikhaata hai ki organizations apni security ko serious le rahi hain. 2024 mein, organizations apne har user pe approximately $1,100 spend kar rahi hain, jo pehle se zyada hai.
Yeh budget increase indicate karta hai ki cyber threats ka landscape bohot complex ho gaya hai, aur companies ko apne networks ko secure karne ke liye zyada investments karne ki zaroorat mehsoos ho rahi hai.
Yeh spending mainly security tools (firewalls, endpoint protection, SIEM, etc.), training programs (employees ko aware karna aur phishing attacks se bachana), aur incident response capabilities ko improve karne pe ja rahi hai.
Lekin, yeh increase hone ke bawajood, stolen credentials jaise simple attacks kaafi devastating hain, jo indicate karta hai ki traditional security measures phir bhi apni effectiveness miss kar rahe hain.
Yeh baat kaafi shockingly significant hai, criminal forums pe stolen credentials ke price ka yeh indicate karta hai ki cybercrime market kitna affordable aur easily accessible ho gaya hai.
$10 mein, koi bhi attacker easily login details khareed sakta hai jo ki kisi victim ke account tak access de sakte hain. Iska matlab hai ki cybercrime ka entry barrier bohot low hai, aur chhote-level criminals bhi high-value targets ko easily compromise kar sakte hain.
Yeh affordability stolen credentials ko ek profitable business banata hai for cyber criminals. Infostealers jo devices ko infect karte hain, wo har tarah ke credentials — personal, work-related, financial accounts — sabko target karte hain, aur phir yeh stolen data dark web pe sell kiya jaata hai.
Agar stolen credentials as low as $10 mein available hain, toh large-scale attacks hona aur badh jaata hai, jisme multiple organizations aur individuals target ho sakte hain, jise humne Snowflake, Microsoft jaise large breaches mein dekha hai.
Stolen credentials ka use bada issue ban gaya hai, kyunki attackers ko kisi bhi account ko compromise karne ke liye bas ek login credential chahiye hota hai. Yeh attacks 80% web app breaches ka source hain.
Cybersecurity budgets increase ho rahe hain, lekin jab tak organizations MFA aur advanced threat detection systems ko implement nahi karti, tab tak yeh threats asaani se bypass kiye ja sakte hain.
Stolen credentials ka low price unhe bohot accessible bana deta hai, jisse cyber criminals ko large-scale attacks karna asaan ho jata hai. Aaj ke time mein, agar ek attacker ko $10 mein kisi ka account access mil raha hai, toh yeh ek serious concern hai.
MFA Gaps:
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) ke adoption mein bohot progress hui hai, lekin fir bhi MFA gaps bohot common hain. Password-only accounts still ek bada risk hain.
Research kehte hain ki 80% accounts mein MFA nahi hota, aur jahan MFA hota bhi hai, wahan woh phishing-resistant nahi hota. Matlab, agar attacker ko MFA bypass karne ka method mil jaata hai, toh wo easily account takeover kar sakta hai.
Infostealer Malware ki Badhat:
Infostealers ek major reason hain jo stolen credentials ke attacks ko badha rahe hain. Ye malware apne target devices pe stored credentials ko chura lete hain (passwords, cookies, session tokens, etc.) aur direct cybercriminal forums ya dark web pe bech dete hain.
Infostealers har tarah ki applications ko target karte hain, chahe wo social media, banking apps, ya corporate logins ho. Jaise-jaise apps aur services zyada ho rahe hain, waise-waise stolen credentials ka potential bhi badh raha hai.
Password Reuse:
Password reuse bohot common hai. Log apne ek password ko multiple accounts pe use karte hain, jo attackers ke liye ek easy opportunity hota hai. Agar ek account breach ho jata hai, toh attacker same password ka use karke dusre accounts tak bhi pohonch sakta hai.
Hybrid Working Arrangements:
Remote work aur hybrid working arrangements ne attack surface ko aur zyada expand kar diya hai. Agar kisi user ka personal device compromise ho jaata hai, toh unke corporate credentials bhi easily stolen ho sakte hain.
Limited Visibility in SaaS:
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) apps ko manage karte waqt organizations ko apne identity posture ki full visibility nahi milti. SaaS platforms ki security monitoring abhi bhi bahut weak hai.
Traditional tools jo network-based attacks ko detect karne mein kaam karte hain, wo SaaS-based account takeovers ko detect karne mein utne effective nahi hote.
Traditional Security Tools ki Limitations:
Classic security approaches, jaise network monitoring, firewalls, aur endpoint security normally lateral movements ya privilege escalation ko detect karne mein kaam karte hain, lekin account takeover (especially SaaS apps ka) rapid ho sakti hai aur traditional tools usse catch nahi kar paate.
Jab attacker ek account ko compromise kar leta hai, toh uske baad ka jo data exfiltration ya malicious activities hoti hain, wo quickly escalate ho sakti hain, aur yeh modern SaaS tools mein visible nahi hoti.
Manual Monitoring and Response ki Complexity:
Jab stolen credentials se breach hota hai, toh manual monitoring and incident response bahut complex ho jati hai. SaaS environments mein apps ke apne security logs aur event data alag hote hain, aur incident containment aur scope reduction karna mushkil ho jata hai.
Stronger MFA Implementation:
Organizations ko stronger MFA adopt karna hoga. Yeh phishing-resistant hona chahiye (jaise FIDO2, WebAuthn).
Agar possible ho, toh adaptive MFA implement karna zaroori hai, jo suspicious login attempts pe automatically trigger ho jaaye.
Improved Visibility into Identity Posture:
Organizations ko apne SaaS apps aur cloud environments ki visibility improve karni hogi, jisse unhe pata chale ki kis account ka kya status hai, kisne kya activity ki hai.
Identity Attack Surface ka regular audit karna zaroori hai.
Credential Monitoring and Threat Intelligence:
Organizations ko apne stolen credentials ko track karne ke liye threat intelligence feeds ka use karna hoga. Yeh feeds stolen credentials ke potential usage ko identify karne mein help karte hain.
Security tools ko integrate karna hoga jisse breached credentials ke against alerting system setup ho sake.
Browser Telemetry for Stolen Credential Detection:
Browser-based telemetry ka use karna hoga taaki logins aur credential usage ko track kiya ja sake.
Push Security jaisi solutions jo browser agent ke through credential validation karte hain, wo directly stolen credentials ko detect kar sakti hain aur real-time alert de sakti hain.
User Awareness and Training:
Employees ko credential hygiene ke baare mein educate karna zaroori hai — jaise unique passwords ka use karna, password managers ka istemal, aur suspicious emails ya links se bachna.
Regular security training aur phishing simulation se unhe aware karna zaroori hai.
Stolen credentials-based attacks ab bohot common aur dangerous ho chuke hain. Organizations ko apne existing security measures ko upgrade karna hoga, particularly MFA, credential monitoring, aur SaaS visibility ko improve karke. Sirf traditional methods se kaam nahi chalega, naye tools aur proactive steps lene honge taaki attackers ko effectively roka ja sake.
Stolen Credential Attacks ke Badhta Trend
Identity-based attacks ab sabse badi cyber threat ban chuki hain. Jaise 2024 mein Snowflake customers pe hua attack, jis mein 165 organizations ka data compromised ho gaya tha. Yeh breach bohot bada tha aur ismein stolen credentials ka use kiya gaya tha. Yeh attack infostealer infections se aaye the jo 2020 tak ke credentials steal kar rahe the.
Aur yeh bas ek example nahi hai — 2024 mein aur bhi kai incidents hue hain jaise:
Change Healthcare breach jisme 100 million customers ka data leak hua tha.
Disney, Microsoft, Finastra, Schneider Electric jaise organizations bhi attacks ka shikar hue.
MFA (Multi-factor Authentication) ki Kami
Yeh MFA gaps kaafi serious issue hai. Jo research findings hain, unse yeh clear ho raha hai ki 4 out of 5 accounts jo sirf password pe depend karte hain, unmein MFA implement nahi hota. Matlab, agar kisi ka password breach ho jata hai, toh attacker ko bas us password ka use karke account access mil jata hai, bina kisi extra verification ke.
Agar MFA ko properly implement kiya jaye, toh stolen credentials ka use karna kaafi mushkil ho jata hai. Lekin agar account sirf password-based ho, toh attacker easily credential stuffing attacks ya phishing ke through password ka misuse kar sakta hai.
Isliye, organizations ko MFA ko phishing-resistant hona chahiye. Password-based login methods ko replace karna chahiye, ya kam se kam adaptive MFA adopt karna chahiye, jisse suspicious logins ke case mein extra security layer add ho sake.
Yeh ek continuous process hai jahan user awareness aur advanced security tools ka bhi role hai. Agar MFA gaps ko properly address na kiya gaya, toh stolen credentials se attacks kaafi badhte rahenge.
Infostealers ka Badhte Hua Trend
infostealer malware ka use kaafi badh gaya hai, aur yeh cyber attacks ko aur bhi dangerous bana raha hai. Infostealers kaafi sophisticated ho gaye hain, aur yeh personal devices se credentials ko efficiently chura rahe hain.
Infostealer malware ka Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) model bhi kaafi popular ho gaya hai, jisme attackers easily infostealers ko criminal forums pe khareed sakte hain. Yeh malware har tarah ke credentials — usernames, passwords, session cookies — ko target karta hai. Yeh malware specially user devices par install hota hai, aur jab credentials steal ho jaate hain, toh wo darkweb aur clearweb pe beche jaate hain.
Jab stolen credentials market mein available hote hain, attackers ko easily target mil jaata hai, jo unke liye attacks ko zyada effective banata hai. Password reuse ka trend bhi attackers ke liye easy access ka reason hai. Agar koi person apne personal account ka password corporate account mein bhi use kar raha hai, toh stolen personal credentials ka use corporate accounts tak bhi pahuch jaata hai.
Is wajah se organizations ko apne endpoint security aur user awareness training pe bhi focus karna hoga. Agar users apne devices ko protect nahi karte, toh attackers unka personal information steal karke corporate environment mein bhi access le sakte hain.
Password managers ka use, multi-factor authentication (MFA), aur antivirus solutions jese preventive measures se is threat ko thoda control kiya ja sakta hai.
Security ki Strategy Mein Badlav
ab security teams ko traditional network-based attacks ke alawa, SaaS apps ki vulnerabilities ko bhi manage karna padta hai. SaaS platforms kaafi popular ho chuke hain, aur unki cloud-based nature aur remote accessibility ne attackers ko ek naye tareeke se target karne ka moka diya hai. Account takeover ab bahut asaan ho gaya hai, kyunki attackers ko sirf ek account ko compromise karna padta hai, aur phir wo data exfiltration aur internal systems tak access le sakte hain.
SaaS apps me attacks ka path kaafi direct hota hai — account compromise se shuru hote hain aur directly sensitive data tak pahuchne ke liye use kiye jaate hain. Traditional network attacks mein lateral movement, privilege escalation jaise complex steps hote hain, lekin SaaS apps mein attacker ko sirf ek compromised account ki zaroorat hoti hai, jisse wo puri app ya platform ko control kar sakta hai.
SaaS-based attacks ke case mein security teams ko limited visibility milti hai, kyunki in platforms pe logs aur activity tracking utni achhi tarah se nahi hoti. SaaS logs often itne detailed nahi hote ki malicious activity ko accurately detect kiya ja sake. Aur jab account takeover ho jaata hai, toh response aur containment bhi challenging ho jata hai, kyunki uss specific app ke liye automated security responses utni flexible nahi hoti.
Agar Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) ka implementation nahi hai, toh stolen credentials se koi bhi attacker easily account access kar sakta hai aur sensitive information ko exfiltrate kar sakta hai. Isliye organizations ko SaaS security ko apne security strategy mein priority deni hogi, jaise ki visibility tools, real-time monitoring, aur threat detection solutions implement karke.
Threat Intelligence aur Stolen Credentials
threat intelligence feeds ki availability kaafi zyada hai, lekin stolen credentials ko track karna aur yeh samajhna ki woh kahaan use ho rahe hain ek challenging task hai. Jo feeds milte hain, unmein 99% stolen credentials false positives hote hain, jo real threat ko identify karne mein koi kaam nahi aate. Iska matlab yeh hai ki security teams ko jo actual malicious activity hai usko separate karne ke liye zyada effort aur time lagta hai.
Agar stolen credentials feed se kisi credential ka match milta hai, toh security teams ko manually verify karna padta hai ki woh credential abhi bhi active hai aur targeted system mein use ho raha hai ya nahi. Agar credential outdated ho gaya ya already changed ho, toh woh security feed kaafi irrelevant ho sakti hai.
Yeh false positives ka issue security teams ke liye alert fatigue create karta hai. Agar yeh alerts frequently milte hain, toh users unhe ignore karne lagte hain, ya fir security teams in alerts ko dismiss karne lagti hain, jo ultimately real threats ko miss karne ka risk badhata hai.
Isliye, effective threat intelligence ko filter karne ke liye, security teams ko apne monitoring tools aur processes ko optimize karna zaroori hai. Unhe real-time validation aur credential correlation tools ka use karna chahiye, jo sirf true positives ko identify kar sakein aur false positives ko eliminate kar sakein.
Browser Telemetry se Account Takeover Ko Rokna
Push Security jaise tools ab ek modern approach la rahe hain, jisme woh browser telemetry ko use karte hain taaki stolen credentials ko real-time detect kiya ja sake aur account takeover ko prevent kiya ja sake. Yeh tools real-time alerts generate karte hain jab stolen credentials kisi app ya service pe use ho rahe hote hain.
Summary mein, yeh article clearly yeh bata raha hai ki stolen credentials ka threat kaafi badh gaya hai, aur isko rokne ke liye organizations ko apni security practices ko upgrade karna zaroori hai. Isme khaas focus MFA adoption aur credential monitoring pe hona chahiye. Agar organizations yeh steps follow karengi, toh credential-based attacks ko roka ja sakta hai aur sensitive data ko secure rakha ja sakta hai.
Toh overall, article ek important reminder hai ki security ke traditional methods kaafi nahi hain aur ab organizations ko apne security measures ko modern threats ke hisaab se evolve karna hoga.