Cyberattacks are undergoing a significant transformation, shifting away from malware-driven methods toward identity exploitation. According to the CrowdStrike 2024 Global Threat Report, three out of four cyberattacks now leverage valid credentials instead of malicious software.
This change is fueled by the expanding cybercrime economy, where stolen identities are becoming as valuable as exploitable system vulnerabilities. A booming underground market for credentials, combined with AI-powered deception and automated phishing, is rendering traditional security measures ineffective.
“You may have really locked down environments for untrusted external threats, but as soon as you look like a legitimate user, you’ve got the keys to the kingdom,” said Elia Zaitsev, CTO at CrowdStrike. This shift presents a pressing challenge for enterprises: if attackers no longer need malware to infiltrate networks, how can they be stopped?
The CrowdStrike report also highlights the speed at which attackers escalate privileges once inside a network. The fastest recorded eCrime breakout time—the duration between initial access and lateral movement—was just 2 minutes and 7 seconds.
This article has been indexed from CySecurity News – Latest Information Security and Hacking Incidents
Read the original article: