How to Defend Against Credential Harvesting Attacks

In today’s interconnected world, cybercriminals are constantly evolving their techniques to breach security measures and steal sensitive information. One of the most common and dangerous methods used is credential harvesting. This type of cyberattack involves stealing login credentials—such as usernames and passwords—to gain unauthorized access to systems, applications, and sensitive data.

Credential harvesting attacks are particularly concerning for businesses because once credentials are compromised, attackers can access critical systems, move laterally within networks, and steal proprietary data. In fact, credential theft is often a precursor to more severe attacks like data breaches, ransomware, and financial fraud.

In this blog, we will discuss what credential harvesting is, how it works, and most importantly, how businesses can defend themselves against this pervasive threat.

What is Credential Harvesting?

Credential harvesting refers to the act of collecting and stealing login credentials from users, typically through deceptive tactics like phishing, malware, or man-in-the-middle attacks. The ultimate goal is to use these stolen credentials to access sensitive data, financial accounts, or critical business systems. Attackers may also sell these credentials on the dark web or use them for further cyberattacks.

Credential harvesting attacks often target employees, customers, or partners, exploiting human vulnerabilities or weak security measures to compromise login details. The most common methods of credential harvesting include:

– Phishing: Cybercriminals use fraudulent emails, messages, or websites that mimic legitimate ones to trick users into providing their credentials.
– Malware: Keyloggers and other types of malware are installed on a victim’s device to secretly capture usernames and passwords as they are typed.
– Social Engineering: Attackers may manipulate or deceive individuals into willingly disclosing sensitive information, including login credentials.
– Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks: In MitM attacks, hackers intercept communication between a user and a legitimate service, stealing login credentials in real-time.

Once harvested, these credentials can be used to gain unauthorized access to a company’s systems, leading to devastating financial, operational, and reputational damage.

How Credential Harvesting Works

While the techniques may vary, credential harvesting generally follows a similar pattern:

1. Targeting the Victim: Attackers target individuals or organizations through phishing emails, fake websites, or malware-laden files.
2. Harvesting the Credentials: The victim unknowingly provides their credentials by entering them into a fake login page or through a keylogger that records their inputs.
3. Exfiltration: Once the credentials are captured, they are either sent directly to the attacker’s command and control server or stored locally to be retrieved later.
4. Unauthorized Access: The attacker uses the stolen credentials to log into the victim’s accounts, gain access to sensitive systems, and further compromise the organization.

Given the rise of cloud-based applications and remote work, credential harvesting attacks have become more common and effective, as they provide attackers with a way to bypass traditional perimeter defenses.

The Risks of Credential Harvesting for Businesses

Credential harvesting presents significant risks to businesses, especially if employees or administrators are targeted. Some of the potential consequences of a successful credential harvesting attack include:

– Data Breaches: Stolen credentials can lead to unauthorized access to corporate databases, customer records, and other sensitive data.
– Financial Loss: Attackers can use compromised credentials to carry out financial fraud, such as initiating unauthorized wire transfers or accessing financial systems.
– Business Disruption: Attackers who gain access to critical systems may disrupt operations by deleting or encrypting data, leading to downtime and productivity loss.
– Reputation Damage: Customers and partners may lose trust in a business if their data is compromised as a result of a credential harvesting attack.
– Compliance Violations: Businesses that experience data breaches due to poor credential security may face penalties and fines for non-compliance with regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS.

How to Defend Against Credential Harvesting Attacks

Defending against credential harvesting attacks requires a multi-layered security approach that combines technology, policies, and user awareness. Here are the best practices that businesses can implement to prevent credential harvesting attacks:

1. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

One of the most effective defenses against credential harvesting is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). MFA requires users to verify their identity through multiple methods—such as a password (something they know) and a one-time passcode (something they have)—before accessing an account. Even if a cybercriminal successfully steals a password, they cannot access the account without the second factor of authentication.

Best Practices for MFA:
– Use strong authentication methods, such as hardware tokens, biometric verification, or authenticator apps.
– Implement MFA across all critical business systems, including email, cloud services, and internal applications.
– Avoid relying solely on SMS-based authentication, as SIM-swapping attacks can compromise this method.

2. Educate Employees on Phishing Awareness

Phishing remains one of the most common vectors for credential harvesting. Educating employees on how to recognize phishing emails and avoid clicking on suspicious links is crucial for defending against these attacks.

Best Practices for Phishing Awareness:
– Conduct regular security awareness training for employees to help them recognize phishing attempts.
– Simulate phishing attacks within the organization to assess how employees respond and identify individuals who may need additional training.
– Encourage employees to report any suspicious emails or messages to the IT or security team for further analysis.

3. Use Email Filtering and Anti-Phishing Tools

Deploying advanced email filtering and anti-phishing tools can help prevent phishing emails from reaching employees in the first place. These tools use machine learning, behavioral analysis, and threat intelligence to detect and block malicious emails before they are delivered to users’ inboxes.

Best Practices for Email Security:
– Implement email filtering tools that block known phishing URLs and malware attachments.
– Use Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC), Sender Policy Framework (SPF), and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) to verify the legitimacy of email senders.
– Enable link scanning features that inspect URLs in emails before users click on them.

4. Deploy Endpoint Security Solutions

Many credential harvesting attacks involve malware such as keyloggers or spyware, which can be used to steal passwords. To defend against these attacks, businesses should deploy robust endpoint security solutions that can detect and block malware infections.

Best Practices for Endpoint Security:
– Use next-generation antivirus (NGAV) and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor and block malicious activities on employee devices.
– Ensure that all devices used by employees—including laptops, smartphones, and tablets—are protected by up-to-date security software.
– Implement mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies on corporate mobile devices and remotely wipe data in case of theft or compromise.

5. Enforce Strong Password Policies

Weak or reused passwords are a major vulnerability that attackers exploit in credential harvesting attacks. Businesses should enforce strong password policies that encourage employees to create complex, unique passwords for each account.

Best Practices for Password Security:
– Require employees to use long passwords (at least 12-16 characters) with a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters.
– Prohibit the reuse of passwords across multiple accounts.
– Implement password expiration policies that require employees to change their passwords periodically.
– Encourage the use of password managers to help employees securely store and manage their passwords.

6. Monitor and Analyze User Behavior

Continuous monitoring of user behavior can help detect signs of credential compromise. For example, if an employee’s account suddenly logs in from an unusual location or attempts to access restricted systems, it may indicate that their credentials have been stolen.

Best Practices for User Behavior Monitoring:
– Use User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) to identify abnormal patterns in user activity, such as accessing data outside of normal working hours or from unfamiliar IP addresses.
– Set up alerts for unusual login attempts, such as multiple failed logins or logins from different geographic locations within a short time frame.
– Implement SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) systems to aggregate and analyze logs from across your IT infrastructure for signs of credential theft or misuse.

7. Keep Software and Systems Updated

Outdated software and unpatched vulnerabilities provide cybercriminals with an entry point for launching credential harvesting attacks. Regularly updating software and systems is essential to close security gaps that attackers could exploit.

Best Practices for Patch Management:
– Ensure that operating systems, browsers, and applications are regularly updated with the latest security patches.
– Implement automated patch management solutions to streamline the process of applying updates across the organization.
– Conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify and address any weaknesses in your systems.

8. Implement Secure Access Controls

Limiting access to sensitive systems and data can minimize the impact of credential harvesting attacks. By enforcing strict access controls, businesses can ensure that only authorized users have access to critical systems, reducing the risk of a stolen credential being used to escalate privileges.

Best Practices for Access Control:
– Apply the principle of least privilege (PoLP) to limit user access to only the resources they need to perform their job duties.
– Use role-based access control (RBAC) to assign permissions based on employees’ roles within the organization.
– Implement Just-In-Time (JIT) access for administrative privileges, providing elevated access only when necessary for specific tasks.

Conclusion

Credential harvesting attacks are a significant threat to businesses of all sizes, as they provide attackers with an easy way to access sensitive systems and data. By implementing a comprehensive security strategy that includes Multi-Factor Authentication, employee training, advanced threat detection, and strong password policies, businesses can significantly reduce the risk of credential theft.

Defending against credential harvesting requires a combination of technology, policy enforcement, and user awareness. By staying proactive and adopting these best practices, your organization can better protect its credentials and reduce the likelihood of a successful attack.