credentialstealing

Credential stealing refers to the illicit acquisition of authentication credentials—such as usernames, passwords, tokens, and cryptographic keys—used to access digital services. Attackers seek to use these credentials to impersonate victims, access protected data, or move within networks.

Common techniques include phishing, where users are tricked into revealing credentials; malware and spyware that harvest keys or credentials from infected devices; credential stuffing, where leaked credentials are tested across services; brute force and data breaches that expose credential data; and social engineering and SIM swap attacks that target account access through trusted channels.

Impact can include unauthorized account access, financial losses, data breaches, identity theft, and reputational damage for individuals and organizations. In enterprise environments, credential theft can enable lateral movement, privileged access, and long-term compromise, complicating remediation efforts and increasing risk to sensitive assets.

Defenses on the user side emphasize creating strong, unique passwords, using password managers, enabling multi-factor authentication (prefer hardware security keys or authenticator apps), and maintaining skepticism toward unsolicited requests. Organizations deploy identity and access management, threat monitoring, phishing awareness training, network segmentation, and robust MFA to reduce exposure and limit credential misuse.

Detection and response involve monitoring for anomalous login activity, signs of credential stuffing, compromised devices, and unusual data access patterns; implementing incident response plans, rapid credential rotation, and regular credential hygiene audits. Legally, credential theft is a criminal offense in many jurisdictions and carries penalties.