What is Account Takeover?

The typical individual maintains numerous online accounts essential for accessing personal and professional websites, applications, and systems. Account takeover attacks aim to breach these accounts, enabling attackers to pilfer data, distribute malware, or exploit the account’s authorized access and permissions for nefarious ends.

How Do Account Takeovers Occur?

For an account takeover attack to succeed, the perpetrator requires access to the authentication details of the targeted account, like a combination of username and password. These details can be acquired through various means, including:

• Credential stuffing: Credential stuffing utilizes bots to systematically try logging into a user account using a list of commonly used or compromised passwords. It exploits the prevalence of weak or recycled passwords, a significant security vulnerability.
• Phishing: Phishing attacks frequently target user credentials by tricking individuals into visiting counterfeit login pages through malicious links, enabling attackers to harvest their login information.
• Malware: Malicious software infecting a user’s device can capture passwords by extracting authentication data from browser or system caches or by recording keystrokes during authentication processes.
• Application vulnerabilities: Beyond users, applications themselves possess accounts within organizational systems, making them susceptible to exploitation via vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access.
• Stolen cookies: Cookies stored on a user’s device contain session information, granting access to an account without requiring a password. By obtaining these cookies, attackers can hijack a user’s session.
• Hardcoded passwords: Occasionally, application code or configuration files may inadvertently expose passwords required for accessing online accounts, potentially through platforms like GitHub.
• Compromised API keys: API keys and similar authentication tokens are meant to facilitate application access to online services through APIs. If inadvertently disclosed, such as through GitHub repositories, these keys can provide unauthorized access to organizational accounts.
• Network traffic interception: Despite widespread encryption, some devices still rely on insecure protocols like Telnet. Attackers intercepting unencrypted network traffic can extract login credentials from it.

Impact of Account Takeover Attacks

A successful account takeover enables the attacker to wield identical access and permissions as the authentic account holder. With such privileges, the attacker can execute various actions, including:

• Data theft: Account takeover incidents facilitate the unauthorized access and extraction of significant volumes of sensitive, confidential, or legally protected data, such as credit card details or personally identifiable information (PII).
• Malware dissemination: Account takeover scenarios empower attackers to implant and execute ransomware and other malicious software on corporate networks and systems.
• Subsequent attacks: Following the acquisition of a legitimate account, attackers may utilize this access to perpetrate additional attacks. Sometimes, the primary motive for acquiring access to a specific account is to launch subsequent attacks, such as exploiting password reuse across multiple accounts.
• Horizontal progression: Compromised accounts serve as gateways for attackers to infiltrate otherwise fortified networks. Starting from this initial foothold, attackers can extend their reach or elevate their privileges across diverse corporate systems—a maneuver referred to as lateral movement.
• Financial exploitation: Rather than utilizing the compromised account themselves, attackers may opt to vend access to it on clandestine online platforms like the dark web for monetary gain.

How to Defend Against Account Takeover Attacks

Organizations have the capability to implement numerous measures aimed at thwarting account takeover attempts and mitigating the repercussions of such assaults.

Account Takeover Prevention

Employing a defense-in-depth strategy proves most effective in mitigating the risks associated with account takeover attacks. These attacks often exploit lax account security measures. Implementing various defenses can fortify organizational resilience against such threats:

• Robust password policies: Given that many account takeovers exploit weak or recycled passwords, establishing and enforcing stringent password protocols—such as assessing if user passwords have been compromised in breaches—can impede credential stuffing and password cracking endeavors.
• Phishing mitigation: Phishing serves as a prevalent avenue for attackers to pilfer user passwords. By deploying email filtering mechanisms or restricting access to suspicious domains through internet filtering tools, organizations can diminish the likelihood of users inadvertently divulging their credentials.
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA): MFA bolsters security by necessitating multiple authentication factors, such as a password paired with a one-time password (OTP) generated by an authenticator app or the utilization of physical keys alongside a password. Mandating MFA usage across all accounts heightens the difficulty for attackers to exploit compromised passwords.
• Application security assessments: Exposed API keys and authentication tokens in APIs present opportunities for attackers to infiltrate an organization’s online accounts. Enforcing robust authentication practices and conducting scans of application code and configuration files for authentication-related data can fortify defenses against such intrusions.
• Enhanced login and API security: Login and API security solutions play a pivotal role in identifying and thwarting credential stuffing attempts, wherein attackers iterate through numerous username and password combinations to ascertain valid credentials. Implementing robust login and API security measures can help detect and block these attacks effectively.

Account Takeover Attack Mitigation

While account takeover prevention is crucial in mitigating the risk of such attacks, its effectiveness isn’t always guaranteed. For instance, a phishing incident targeting a user’s personal email may result in the leakage of login credentials, enabling attackers to infiltrate the same user’s corporate account.

In addition to the aforementioned prevention strategies, organizations can minimize the impact of these attacks through the following methods:

• Behavioral analytics: Following authentication, attackers are prone to engaging in abnormal behaviors within a user’s account, such as unauthorized data extraction or malware deployment. Continuously monitoring account usage post-authentication empowers organizations to identify and promptly address successful account takeover attempts.
• Zero Trust security: Adopting a default-deny, Zero Trust security model significantly raises the bar for attackers attempting to access targeted applications or resources, even with compromised credentials. Requests from attackers to access corporate applications must undergo rigorous verification based on factors like identity, device health, and contextual signals before access is granted. Organizations equipped with robust and granular Zero Trust policies can detect suspicious indicators—such as atypical request geographies or infected requesting devices—and deny access requests from attackers.

FAQ’s

How do account takeover attacks typically occur?

Account takeover attacks occur through various means, including credential stuffing, phishing, malware infections, exploiting application vulnerabilities, stealing cookies, discovering hardcoded passwords, compromising API keys, and intercepting unencrypted network traffic.

What are the consequences of a successful account takeover?

A successful account takeover grants attackers the same access and permissions as the legitimate account owner. Consequently, attackers can engage in data theft, distribute malware, launch subsequent attacks, move laterally within a network, or exploit the compromised account for financial gain.

What measures can organizations implement to defend against account takeover attacks?

Organizations can implement robust password policies, employ phishing mitigation techniques, mandate multi-factor authentication (MFA), conduct regular application security assessments, and enhance login and API security measures. These strategies collectively strengthen defenses against account takeover attempts.

How can organizations minimize the impact of account takeover attacks?

In addition to prevention measures, organizations can leverage behavioral analytics to detect abnormal activities post-authentication, enabling swift response to successful account takeover attempts. Adopting Zero Trust security principles, which scrutinize access requests based on various factors, further mitigates the impact of such attacks by denying unauthorized access attempts.

Conclusion

Safeguarding against account takeover attacks is crucial due to the widespread use of online accounts in both personal and professional settings. These attacks exploit authentication vulnerabilities and can result in severe consequences such as data theft and malware distribution. While preventive measures like strong passwords and multi-factor authentication are essential, proactive approaches such as behavioral analytics and Zero Trust security are equally vital for detecting and mitigating successful attacks. By adopting a multi-layered defense strategy, organizations can enhance their resilience against account takeover attempts and protect sensitive information from malicious exploitation.