Security News > 2024 > March > Cybercriminals use cheap and simple infostealers to exfiltrate data

Of these compromised identity records, one in four contained information about the user's network or physical location, putting the individual's identity, platforms they have access to, and physical well-being at risk.

Taking a deeper look into how stolen data empowers bad actors to perpetrate cybercrimes including account takeover, fraud, and ransomware, researchers analyzed the exposures of the average digital identity being traded in the criminal underground and found that the average identity appears in as many as nine breaches and is associated with 15 breach records.

This stolen authentication data enables cybercriminals to bypass protections including MFA and even passkeys to hijack their victim's identity and take over digital sessions.

"Cheap and easy-to-use infostealers combined with the ubiquity of stolen data online can make cyber defense seem like an impossible task," said Trevor Hilligoss, VP of SpyCloud Labs, SpyCloud's research team responsible for recapturing data and analyzing patterns from the criminal underground.

"Protecting digital identities and beating cybercriminals at their own game requires a multi-layered approach. It starts with quickly identifying exposed identities and immediately moves to post-infection remediation - invalidating compromised authentication data for all applications exposed by the infection. It's a sure-fire way to prevent future cyberattacks resulting from the stolen information," added Hilligoss.

While the goal of mobile malware is often financial fraud, compromised devices can also result in sensitive data compromise, disruption of operations, and reputational damage.

News URL

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2024/03/28/identity-based-attacks-rise/