Hackers are coming for your identities, and they aren't asking nicely. Here are the top five identity threats that ...
Hackers are coming for your identities, and they aren't asking nicely.
Here are the top five identity threats that should keep you (and your security stack) up at night.
1. Credential Theft
Your passwords are a hacker's golden ticket. Whether they're swiped from a phishing attempt, bought on the dark web, or cracked through brute force, compromised credentials give attackers the keys to your kingdom. And once they're in, they look just like you, so they're hard to spot and even harder to stop.
2. Adversary-in-the-Middle (AiTM)
Think your MFA is a silver bullet? Think again: Attackers are now intercepting login sessions using AiTM tactics, slipping past authentication like a ghost through walls. By hijacking tokens and cookies, they bypass MFA completely because they don't need your password if they can just steal your session.
3. Shadow Workflows
Email isn't just a communication tool; it's an attack vector. Threat actors love to slip in quietly, setting up stealthy forwarding rules that funnel sensitive data to their inbox— or worse, using your email to launch more attacks. It's like giving an intruder their own personal copy of your mail.
4. Rogue Applications
Click "Accept" too quickly, and you might roll out the red carpet for an attacker. Malicious OAuth apps and third-party integrations can embed themselves deep into your environment, giving bad actors persistent access; no password required. Once authorized, they can gain persistence, exfiltrate data, manipulate email, and escalate privileges with no consequences.
5. Session Hijacking
Once you're authenticated, your session token becomes your identity. And if an attacker snatches that token, they don't need your login— they are you. Whether it's through cookie theft, cross-site scripting (XSS), or a well-placed infostealer, hijacked sessions give cybercriminals uninterrupted access to your accounts without a password.
Frequently Asked Questions: Top Identity Threats
What is “Top 5 Identity Threats You Can’t Afford to Ignore” about?
This article explains the five most dangerous identity-based cyber threats that modern businesses face—credential theft, adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) attacks, shadow workflows, rogue applications, and session hijacking—and why traditional endpoint-focused security is no longer enough.
Why are identities such a critical attack surface today?
The article stresses that the modern attack surface is identities, not just devices. Once attackers can impersonate a user—by stealing credentials, sessions, or OAuth tokens—they inherit that user’s access, trust, and permissions across cloud apps, email, and internal systems. This makes identity-focused threats both difficult to detect and extremely costly.
What is credential theft and why is it so dangerous?
Credential theft occurs when attackers steal, purchase, or crack usernames and passwords. According to the article, hackers may use phishing, dark-web credential dumps, or brute-force attacks to obtain them. With valid credentials, attackers “look just like you” inside logs and systems, allowing them to move laterally, steal data, or launch further attacks with little chance of being detected.
What is an Adversary-in-the-Middle (AiTM) attack?
An Adversary-in-the-Middle (AiTM) attack intercepts your login session between you and a legitimate service. AiTM tools can capture MFA tokens, cookies, and session data, allowing attackers to bypass multi-factor authentication entirely. Even with MFA enabled, attackers can hijack your authenticated session and operate as you.
What are “shadow workflows” in email, and how do they threaten security?
Shadow workflows refer to hidden or stealthy changes to email settings—such as secret forwarding rules—that attackers configure after compromising an account. The article explains that these rules can quietly forward sensitive emails to an attacker or use your mailbox to stage additional phishing attacks. Because everything appears normal to the user, these workflows can persist undetected for long periods.
Stay Vigilant, Stay Protected.
The modern attack surface isn't just through endpoints— it's identities.
And when cybercriminals slip through these cracks, they don't just steal credentials; they steal access, trust, and control. We can be there for your organization and help you fight back.
Remember, cybersecurity is an ongoing process, and staying informed about the latest threats and trends is crucial. By being proactive and vigilant, you can stay one step ahead of cybercriminals and safeguard your organization's future.
Find out what our Managed Threat Detection and Response service can do to lock down your identities.