Account prevent ATO attacks (ATO) attacks are one of the most dangerous cybercrimes and a key component of many other types of fraud such as malware, ransomware, and cryptocurrency theft. Whether through data breaches, phishing campaigns, or brute force credential stuffing, ATO attacks can lead to external fraud using customer accounts, internal hacks leading to disasters including data breaches and ransomware, or both. This type of attack is a growing concern for organizations because it can expose brands to financial losses, data theft, and reputational damage.

ATO attacks are on the rise due to a combination of factors including increased online financial accounts and offerings, darknet marketplaces that make it easier to steal data, and the fact that users often reuse login credentials across multiple websites. This makes them easy to target with tools like credential stuffing and brute force attacks.

Defending Your Digital Identity: Proven Strategies to Prevent Account Takeover Attacks

Preventing ATO attacks requires comprehensive activity visibility, and a security solution that can detect anomalies in behavior patterns such as accelerated login attempts. It also requires implementing password security policies that encourage employees to use strong, unique passwords for each of their online accounts and to use a secure password manager.

A good security solution can also prevent ATO attacks by limiting login attempt rates to account holders who are not typical, and monitoring timestamps on data transfers to recognize suspicious activity. Additionally, implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA), which requires additional forms of verification in addition to passwords such as biometrics or security tokens, can help prevent ATO attacks by making it more difficult for an attacker to obtain a user’s login credentials.