As an owner or administrator of a website, you’ve probably experienced a moment of dread when, unexpectedly, your site’s traffic shoots up astronomically. Your website, unable to cope with the traffic, slows to a crawl or, worse, crashes completely. In such instances, the most immediate suspect is typically a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack.
A DDoS attack, for those unfamiliar, is a malicious attempt to disrupt the regular functioning of a network, service, or website by overwhelming the infrastructure with a flood of internet traffic. These attacks are designed to exhaust your resources, such as bandwidth, memory, and processing power, thereby denying legitimate users access to your website or service. It’s digital chaos, plain and simple.
But here’s where the plot thickens. What if, lurking behind the scenes of what you’ve presumed to be a typical DDoS attack, there’s another, more insidious threat at play? This very real and emerging cyber threat is known as credential stuffing disguised as DDoS.
Under the cover of a DDoS attack, cybercriminals are pulling off a clever misdirection. As your defenses focus on the flood of traffic, seemingly random but very intentional attempts are made to access various user accounts using stolen credentials. This is known as credential stuffing.
The endgame of this tactic is not simply to cause disruptions, but to gain unauthorized access to as many user accounts as possible. This could lead to data breaches, financial loss, or even a takeover of users’ accounts. All this happens while you are led to believe that you’re dealing with a DDoS attack, distracting your attention from the real threat.
Understanding this emerging tactic, credential stuffing disguised as DDoS is the first step towards countering it effectively. It’s a reminder that in the ever-evolving world of cybersecurity, we must always stay a step ahead, continually learning and adapting to new threats. Here, we’ll delve deeper into this world and share the knowledge needed to combat such threats successfully.
Understanding Credential Stuffing
Credential stuffing attacks have become a severe cybersecurity issue, accounting for more than one-third of online failed login attempts. In 2020 alone, a staggering 193 billion credential stuffing attacks were documented. These cyberattacks exploit password reuse by using stolen credentials to gain unauthorized access to accounts and systems. The consequences can be dire, with financial ramifications, loss of trust, and reputational damage among the most common outcomes.
The root of the problem lies in the recycling of login credentials across multiple websites and services. Data breaches expose millions of passwords, and attackers seize the opportunity to use these breached credentials however they wish. This type of attack can be related to DDoS attacks, as both target online services and can cause significant disruption.
The Credential Stuffing Process
Credential stuffing attacks work in a very specific way. They begin with an attacker acquiring a list of stolen username and password pairs, often from data breaches. They then employ a botnet to automate the injection of these stolen credentials across multiple sites simultaneously, in an attempt to gain unauthorized access. The sheer scale of these attacks and the speed at which they occur can overwhelm targeted servers, leading to application downtime and other consequences.
The success of a credential stuffing attack hinges on the fact that many people reuse the same passwords across different accounts. If an attacker manages to gain access to one account with a specific set of credentials, they can potentially gain access to multiple accounts with the same username and password combination. The ultimate goal of these attacks is to fraudulently gain access to user accounts and exploit them for financial gain or other malicious purposes.
Differences Between Credential Stuffing and Brute Force Attacks
While credential stuffing and brute force attacks may appear similar, they differ in a crucial aspect: credential stuffing relies on users reusing passwords across multiple services, making it more likely to succeed. In contrast, brute force attacks involve computer-generated combinations of usernames and passwords attempted to gain access, similar to protocol attacks that target specific network protocols.
Understanding this distinction can help organizations tailor their security measures to better protect against both types of attacks.
Understanding DDoS Attacks
When it comes to cyber threats, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are one of the most infamous. They consume resources leaving websites, networks, or services crippled in their wake.
A DDoS attack occurs when a perpetrator exploits multiple compromised computer systems to attack a target, such as a server, website, or other network resources. The aim is to flood these systems with more traffic than they can handle. This is achieved through a tidal wave of superfluous requests, with the intent of overloading systems and preventing some or all legitimate requests from being fulfilled.
DDoS attacks come in different flavors, but three types are most prevalent:
Volume-based Attacks
These are the most common types of DDoS attacks, where a network’s bandwidth is flooded with data, causing it to slow down or, in severe cases, become completely unresponsive. This is akin to a crowded freeway where the sheer volume of cars (data) causes a traffic jam.
Protocol Attacks
These attacks consume server resources, or those of intermediate communication equipment, like firewalls and load balancers, by exploiting vulnerabilities in the protocol itself. Think of this as someone constantly ringing your doorbell or knocking on your door, causing disruption and preventing any meaningful activity.
Application Layer Attacks
These are more sophisticated and target specific aspects of an application or service. For instance, it could target a specific feature that is resource-intensive, causing the service to slow down or crash. This is equivalent to a person entering a store and repeatedly asking a sales person complicated queries, preventing them from attending to other customers.
A key characteristic of DDoS attacks is that they often involve multiple compromised computers, forming a botnet, to carry out the attack. Imagine hundreds or thousands of computers, controlled by a malicious actor, all working in unison to flood your systems with traffic.
Understanding the nature of DDoS attacks allows us to better prepare and defend against them. However, as with all aspects of cybersecurity, understanding is only the first step – it’s our defenses, strategies, and responses that ultimately make the difference.
The Consequences of Credential Stuffing Attacks
The after-effects of a credential stuffing attack can be devastating for both businesses and users. Financial losses, application downtime, and harm to a company’s reputation are just a few of the potential consequences. To truly grasp the severity of these attacks and the importance of preventing them, it is essential to delve deeper into the financial ramifications and the impact on trust and reputation.
Financial Ramifications
Credential stuffing attacks can have serious repercussions on a company’s finances. According to the Ponemon Institute’s Cost of credential stuffing report, businesses incur an average annual loss of $6 million due to such attacks. These financial losses can be attributed to various factors, including regulatory fines, legal actions, and the cost of mitigating and recovering from the attack.
The financial implications of credential stuffing are not limited to businesses alone. Consumers also face the risk of unauthorized access to their accounts, potentially resulting in financial losses and identity theft. In light of these consequences, it is crucial for organizations to deploy robust security measures to prevent and mitigate the financial impact of credential stuffing attacks.
Loss of Trust and Reputation
Credential stuffing attacks can significantly damage a company’s reputation, as customers and partners may lose confidence in the organization’s ability to protect their data and privacy. A data breach can erode consumer trust and lead to lost business, further exacerbating the consequences of the attack.
In addition to the direct financial losses, the reputational damage caused by credential stuffing attacks can have long-lasting effects, making it more difficult for a company to recover and regain its footing in the market. The importance of safeguarding customers’ data and trust cannot be overstated, as a company’s reputation is one of its most valuable assets.
Credential Stuffing Disguised as DDoS Attacks
Explanation
Under the shadow of a seemingly DDoS attack, some sly cybercriminals conduct credential stuffing. They do this to confuse the defensive systems, making it appear as if the website is under a DDoS attack, while they quietly test stolen credentials.
Indications
Spotting this can be tricky. However, a telling sign is an unusual number of login attempts from various locations within a short timeframe.
Why it’s a Concern
This can pose serious risks. If left unchecked, cybercriminals could gain unauthorized access to numerous accounts.
The Tactic Behind the Disguise
Why the disguise, you may ask? Well, it’s all about deception. Cybercriminals thrive on confusion and chaos, making a DDoS attack a perfect camouflage for credential stuffing.
Consequences of this Attack
Impact on Individuals
For individuals, such an attack could lead to a breach of privacy, theft of personal information, and financial loss.
Impact on Businesses
Businesses are not left out. They face tarnished reputations, decreased customer trust, and significant financial implications due to these attacks.
Preventing and Mitigating Credential Stuffing Attacks
To protect against credential stuffing attacks, organizations need to adopt a multi-faceted approach that includes implementing multi-factor authentication, providing employee education and training, and deploying advanced bot-detection mechanisms.
By leveraging these strategies, companies can effectively safeguard their data and systems, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access and the associated consequences.
Implementing Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) bolsters security by demanding user verification through multiple sources like passwords, biometrics, or security tokens. This makes unauthorized access more challenging. Its application not only thwarts credential stuffing but also aids in mitigating phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks, thus strengthening an organization’s overall cybersecurity framework.
Employee Education and Training
Promoting cybersecurity awareness and strong password habits among employees is crucial in preventing credential stuffing attacks. Training on managing secure passwords and identifying potential attacks can significantly enhance an organization’s security stance.
Deploying Advanced Bot-Detection & Mitigation Mechanisms
In an ever-evolving digital landscape, safeguarding your online platforms from cyber threats like credential stuffing is no longer optional – it’s a necessity. Blocking the automation used to conduct credential stuffing attacks prevents attackers from launching their attacks at scale. Kasada offers advanced bot mitigation solutions to protect your valuable digital assets. Harness the power of our advanced bot detection, tailored to your specific needs, to block malicious bots and prevent them from compromising your systems, contact us today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is credential stuffing disguised as DDos?
Credential stuffing disguised as DDoS is a sophisticated cyber-attack strategy where cybercriminals make it appear as if a website is under a DDoS attack, while they’re actually trying to gain unauthorized access to accounts by testing stolen credentials. This disguise creates confusion and chaos, making it harder to detect the credential stuffing activity.
What are the indicators of a credential stuffing attack masquerading as a DDoS attack?
The main indicator of a credential stuffing attack disguised as a DDoS attack is a sudden and unusual surge of login attempts from various locations within a short time period. This might initially look like a typical DDoS attack (which overwhelms a site with traffic to cause disruption), but the true intent is to test stolen credentials across various services.
What is a DDoS attack?
A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack is a cyber-attack where multiple compromised systems overwhelm a targeted server with traffic, causing it to become inaccessible to its intended users.
What steps can individuals and businesses take to protect themselves from such attacks?
Individuals and businesses can take several steps to protect themselves from these types of attacks, including:
- Adopting strong and unique passwords for each online account.
- Implementing multi-factor authentication, which provides an extra layer of security.
- Regularly updating and patching systems to fix any security vulnerabilities.
- Utilizing a modern bot mitigation solution to protect against these malicious threats.
How can defensive technologies help in safeguarding against such attacks?
Defensive technologies such as bot mitigation solutions can significantly improve defenses against these attacks. By blocking the malicious automation attackers use you can make credential stuffing attacks unprofitable. Attackers need to launch attacks at scale and therefore rely on bots, if bots are unable to access your systems attackers will move on to an easier target.
What was an example of credential stuffing disguised as DDos?
A prominent example of credential Stuffing Disguised as DDoS was the 2016 attack on GitHub. Initially, it seemed that the platform was being bombarded with a DDoS attack, but upon closer inspection, it was discovered that it was actually a credential stuffing attack in disguise, where cybercriminals were attempting to gain unauthorized access to accounts.
What is an example of a credential stuffing attack?
Credential stuffing attacks are a type of cyberattack in which attackers use previously stolen data, such as usernames and passwords, to gain access to other websites.
