Cyberattack Trends Shift: Stolen Credentials Surge as Phishing Declines
CSO
|
Contributed by: Drex DeFord
Summary
Recent reports from Mandiant and Verizon highlight a notable shift in cyberattack trends in 2024, with stolen credentials and perimeter exploits emerging as prominent methods, while phishing attacks have decreased. Mandiant's data indicates that stolen credentials were involved in 16% of breaches, overtaking phishing at 14%. The report underscores the growing use of infostealers and keyloggers for credential theft and emphasizes the necessity of multifactor authentication (MFA) for protection. Exploited vulnerabilities remain the main form of initial access, now responsible for a third of intrusions, with an increasing focus on zero-day vulnerabilities in security devices. Financial motivations are evident, with 35% of attacks driven by profit, and data theft linked to 37% of incidents.
