Infostealers, a type of malware-as-a-service (MaaS), have become increasingly popular, with research showing that 24% of malware now falls into this category. These malicious software allow cyber criminals with limited means and technical knowledge to deploy and access networks, stealing valuable data. Infostealers work covertly, extracting data from infected devices and selling it on the Dark Web. The ease of trading information on the Dark Web, coupled with the explosion of connected devices, has contributed to the growth of infostealers. Hackers have developed various tactics to infect machines, including phishing emails, embedding the code in popular applications, and using deceptive advertisements on platforms like Google and Facebook.
The rise of hybrid work environments has increased vulnerabilities to infostealers as employees often use the same device for personal and professional purposes. This means that a device infected with malware from a gaming site, for example, could expose all corporate data contained on that device. Infostealers exploit the weakest link in cybersecurity – human behavior. Instead of relying on complex attacks to compromise a system, they wait for users to unwittingly open the door for them.
Password managers are a valuable target for infostealers. Once a device is infected, the malware can exploit vulnerabilities in password management solutions, gaining access to saved credentials and monitoring and stealing new ones as they are entered. Infostealers can expose credentials in plain text along with all the associated websites and services, leading to credential stuffing and password spraying attacks. The problem of password reuse further exacerbates the issue, as personal and work accounts may share credentials stored in a password manager.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is not foolproof when it comes to defending against infostealers. MFA can be bypassed if a device has previously logged into an account and is trusted, as infostealers can steal cookies and active login session IDs. Organizations must remain vigilant and modernize their security strategies to counter the evolving threat landscape. Monitoring the Dark Web provides valuable threat intelligence that can help organizations stay ahead of the latest trends. Early detection is crucial to prevent the compromise of important accounts and the exposure of sensitive data.
To strengthen their security posture, companies should consider integrating a proactive threat intelligence solution. Enzoic offers a proprietary Dark Web monitoring solution that combines a dynamic threat database with extensive research capabilities. This automated and intelligent solution helps prevent the use of compromised credentials and sensitive information for financial gain, fraud, or account takeover. With Enzoic’s Dark Web monitoring capabilities, companies can stay one step ahead of threat actors by collecting infostealer logs as soon as they are posted.
Key Points:
1. Infostealers, a type of malware-as-a-service, account for 24% of malware and are popular on the Dark Web.
2. Infostealers extract data from infected devices and sell it on the Dark Web.
3. Hackers use various tactics to infect machines, including phishing emails and deceptive advertisements.
4. Hybrid work environments increase vulnerabilities to infostealers as personal and professional use of devices overlap.
5. Password managers are a valuable target for infostealers, as they store credentials and expose associated websites and services.
6. Multi-factor authentication is not foolproof against infostealers.
7. Organizations should integrate a proactive threat intelligence solution to strengthen their security posture.
8. Enzoic offers a Dark Web monitoring solution to prevent the use of compromised credentials and sensitive information.