Identity security is becoming a critical part of modern cybersecurity as attackers increasingly target user accounts to gain access to business systems.
Cybersecurity strategies have traditionally focused on protecting devices, networks and applications. Those controls remain essential, but the way attackers gain access is changing. Increasingly, the easiest route into an organisation is through a legitimate user account.
Rather than attempting to force their way through a firewall or exploit a technical vulnerability, attackers can steal credentials, compromise an authenticated session or manipulate a user into granting access. Once successful, they may be able to enter business systems using the same permissions as the person they have compromised.
That’s what makes identity attacks particularly challenging. To the systems being accessed, the attacker can initially look like a legitimate user.
Why identity has become such an attractive target
The way we work has changed considerably. Employees routinely access cloud applications from different devices and locations, while a single identity may provide access to email, company files and other business-critical systems.
For an attacker, getting control of that identity can therefore be extremely valuable. Current account-takeover techniques increasingly include session hijacking and token theft alongside more familiar credential-based attacks. With session hijacking, for example, an attacker steals the token or cookie created after a user has successfully authenticated. Replaying that session may allow them to access an application without entering the victim’s password or completing MFA again.
This helps explain why protecting identities now needs to extend beyond the initial login.
MFA still matters, but the job doesn’t end there
Multi-factor authentication remains one of the most important measures organisations can put in place. It adds an additional barrier when credentials are stolen and makes many common account takeover techniques significantly harder.
However, attackers are adapting to its widespread use. MFA fatigue attacks attempt to persuade users to approve an unexpected authentication request, while adversary-in-the-middle phishing and session theft can target the authenticated session itself.
That makes context increasingly important. Does a sign-in come from an expected location or device? Is someone suddenly accessing information they don’t normally use? Has a privileged account started behaving differently?
Looking beyond whether someone has successfully authenticated can help organisations identify suspicious activity earlier.
Building stronger identity protection
We help clients take a layered approach to identity security, starting with understanding who has access to what and applying appropriate controls around that access.
Depending on the environment and risk profile, that can include:
- strengthening authentication and applying conditional access policies based on factors such as the user, device and level of risk;
- reviewing privileged accounts and access permissions so users aren’t holding unnecessary access to sensitive systems;
- monitoring identity and sign-in activity for signs of compromise; and
- supporting users with security awareness so they’re better equipped to recognise attempts to steal or misuse their credentials.
Ongoing monitoring is an important part of that approach. When a compromised account can appear legitimate, detecting unusual behaviour and responding quickly can make the difference between an attempted intrusion and a much larger incident.
It’s also important to revisit identity controls as an organisation changes. People join, move roles and leave, new services are introduced, and access accumulates over time. Without regular review, yesterday’s legitimate permission can become today’s unnecessary exposure.
Identity is everyone’s security perimeter
Identity security isn’t only something for highly privileged administrators. Any compromised account can give an attacker a foothold, and from there they may look for opportunities to access further systems, information or permissions.
That means good identity security needs to become part of everyday IT management. Authentication, access controls, monitoring and user awareness should work together, with organisations regularly checking that the right people still have the right level of access.
If you’re unsure how well your organisation’s identities are protected, talk to us. We can help you review your current identity security controls, identify areas of exposure and strengthen the protections around access to your critical business systems.
