You wake up to an unusual notification—a new device logged into your work email account overnight. But it’s not yours.
In fact, the device location is in a different country. You scramble to reset the password, but it no longer works. After too many failed attempts, you’re locked out. It’s too late. The hackers got in and shut you out. Sounds like an exaggeration? Unfortunately, it’s not. This is the sad reality of identity credential theft. With every passing year we add more devices, apps, and cloud storage spaces, and with this growth, the threat of identity credential theft grows. Browsers, streaming services, and online retailers store our purchasing habits, preferences, and even payment methods—information that, in the wrong hands, can be dangerous.
The majority of people trust their device and storage providers to safeguard their data. They’re aware of phishing attacks and know they should use strong passwords, update them regularly, never use them twice, and use multifactor authentication when available. Yet, the Verizon Data Breach Report shows that 49% of all breaches were due to poor password management.
It’s no surprise then, that 46% of US internet users had their passwords stolen last year, according to a recent study commissioned by Forbes Advisor. The 2024 Snowflake data breach underscored the consequences of weak security practices and saw sensitive customer data from over 100 companies exposed. While the full extent of the damage remains unclear to this day, stolen information from millions of Snowflake customers was posted for sale on Breach Forums, putting countless individuals at risk.
Unfortunately, even keeping perfect password hygiene might not safeguard data. Cybercriminals have increasingly turned to stealer malware (infostealer)—malicious software designed to quietly extract login credentials and other sensitive information. Having been around for nearly two decades, stealer malware has evolved into a more sophisticated and widespread threat, now easily accessible through Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) models, making it a growing weapon of choice in the cybercrime ecosystem.
Stealer malware (or infostealer) is designed to steal any critical information stored on a device or network. It looks for passwords, of course, but the data it is after is far more varied. It includes:
Some variants even drop keystroke loggers to capture everything you type—including passwords that aren’t saved anywhere.
Stealer malware gets in through the usual suspects: phishing, fake software downloads, or second-stage payload drops from other malware. It can even be as simple as a drive-by download from an infected website.
Once inside, the malware hunts for precious data. A favorite collection tool is clipboard hijacking. It steals or replaces crucial information, like account numbers and passwords, saved within the user's clipboard. Other methods include screen capture, form grabbing, and seizing cookies. It can even decide to dig deeper if it finds crypto wallets or banking apps.
The stolen data needs to be sent back to the attacker. Stealer malware creates a covert communication channel by merging with a regular traffic stream and transmitting obfuscated data. During this process, it may also deploy additional malware, allowing remote control and further system compromise.
Stolen data doesn’t sit around and twiddle its thumbs. Stolen data is quickly sold to Initial Access Brokers (IABs), who then sell them through various channels used by cyber-criminals.
InfoStealer malware stealthiness and sophistication make detection and prevention difficult. However, early detection of leaked credentials can help level the playing field.
If users whose credentials have been compromised are alerted early enough, they can change their passwords before cyber criminals exploit them. For organizations and businesses, early warning is a crucial head start, enabling SOC teams to investigate further infections before they escalate.
To stay ahead of these evolving threats, you need real-time cyber threat intelligence that scours the clear, deep, and dark web to detect and prevent attacks. Bitsight collected 13.2 billion credentials from stealer logs in 2024, and our solutions deliver:
With stealer malware lurking in the shadows, quick detection and response is your best defense.
Don’t wait for cyber criminals to steal your credentials. Get ahead of real-time threats now. Book a demo here to learn how.
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