Defending Against Advanced Identity-Based Attacks

Identity-based attacks have become more sophisticated and prevalent as organizations adopt stronger authentication methods for their SaaS and cloud applications. In particular, multi-factor authentication (MFA) is now being targeted by adversaries looking to bypass its protections. While a large proportion of users now utilize MFA, this growing adoption has led to two significant trends in cyberattacks.

First, threat actors are easily breaching more and more accounts that do not use MFA, leading to a dramatic rise in password-related attacks. Second, as MFA adoption increases, attackers are adapting by turning to more advanced techniques like Adversary-in-the-Middle (AiTM) phishing attacks and token theft. These attacks do not simply steal existing authentication tokens but instead involve deceiving users into giving away their credentials, and completing MFA, which results in the attacker receiving a valid session token and gaining unauthorized access to systems.

This evolution in attack tactics emphasizes the need for organizations to reassess their security posture, moving beyond MFA alone and ensuring they are prepared for these more sophisticated identity-based threats.

Case Study: Stolen Microsoft 365 Credentials

In a recent wave of attacks, cybercriminals leveraged a Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) platform called Rockstar 2FA, to compromise Microsoft 365 accounts. These attacks used Adversary-in-the-Middle (AiTM) techniques, allowing them to obtain credentials even bypassing MFA. The Rockstar 2FA platform, an advanced version of the DadSec kit, automated these attacks, providing attackers with tools to create convincing phishing pages that mimicked legitimate Microsoft services.

The phishing campaign deployed email lures that tricked users into entering their credentials and MFA codes on fake login pages, allowing attackers to capture session cookies and gain unauthorized access to accounts. Organizations relying solely on MFA need additional layers of protection, such as robust credential management and continuous monitoring, to prevent unauthorized access to critical cloud resources like Microsoft 365.

A Multi-Layered Strategy for Identity Security

To effectively defend against advanced identity-based attacks, organizations must adopt a multi-layered security strategy that integrates several key components, each working in tandem to safeguard both user credentials and SaaS/cloud applications. This strategy goes beyond basic MFA to address potential vulnerabilities across all levels of identity and access management (IAM).

Misconfiguration Detection: The first line of defense involves identifying and rectifying misconfigurations within cloud services. Misconfigurations in cloud environments are a major contributor to security breaches, as attackers can exploit exposed resources to gain unauthorized access. Utilizing security posture management tools can help detect such misconfigurations in real time, ensuring that permissions, access controls, and identity policies are correctly enforced.

Continuous Monitoring: Given the rapid pace of cyber threats, continuous monitoring is critical. This includes real-time tracking of access attempts, suspicious logins, and deviations from normal user behavior. Implementing solutions that provide visibility into user activity helps identify unusual patterns and enables rapid response to potential threats.

Access Control and Privilege Management: The Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) should be enforced, ensuring that users and applications have only the minimum level of access needed to perform their tasks. Security solutions can further secure sensitive accounts, providing granular control and monitoring over who accesses critical resources and for how long.

Anomaly Detection and Behavioral Analytics: As attackers often use legitimate credentials to carry out their activities, traditional security methods may not suffice. Behavioral analytics can help identify anomalies such as unusual login times, geographic locations, or device types, flagging these events for further investigation before they escalate.

Secure Credential Management: Beyond MFA, organizations should also implement strong password policies, enforce regular password rotations, and utilize secure storage solutions like password vaults to prevent the compromise of credentials that might bypass MFA protections.

By integrating these components, organizations can build a defense-in-depth approach, ensuring that even if one layer is breached, other protective measures will help prevent attackers from gaining full access to critical systems and data.

Preventing Identity Security Attacks with CheckRed

As identity-based attacks continue to evolve, organizations must adopt a comprehensive, multi-layered approach to protect their cloud and SaaS environments. The combination of robust misconfiguration detection, continuous monitoring, and advanced identity security strategies is critical in defending against sophisticated attacks like AiTM phishing and token theft.

At CheckRed, we provide an all-in-one platform designed to protect your cloud and SaaS applications at every layer. Our SSPM and CNAPP solutions offer real-time visibility into your cloud environment, helping you detect misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and potential threats before they are exploited. Additionally, our identity security tool empowers organizations to secure user credentials, enforce least-privilege access, and continuously monitor for abnormal activity. With our platform, you can confidently safeguard your organization against emerging identity-based attacks and ensure the integrity of your critical cloud resources. Contact us today to learn how we can help you!