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The Alarming Surge in Leaked Credentials: Protecting Your Business in 2025
One of the most pressing cyber threats businesses face today is the rampant rise in leaked credentials. Data from Cyberint, a Check Point company, reveals a staggering 160% increase in leaked credentials so far in 2025 compared to 2024. This isn’t just a statistic; it’s a direct threat to your organization’s security.
Late last year, we reported 14,000 cases in just 1 month where our customers’ employee credentials, even those adhering to company password policies, were exposed in data breaches – a clear indicator of real and present risk.
top 10 countries being targeted by ransomware attacks
One of the most pressing cyber threats businesses face today is the rampant rise in leaked credentials. Data from Cyberint, a Check Point company, reveals a staggering 160% increase in leaked credentials so far in 2025 compared to 2024. This isn’t just a statistic; it’s a direct threat to your organization’s security.
Strengthening Your Defenses: Mitigation Strategies
Protecting your organization requires a multi-layered approach:
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- Password Management Policies: Enforce regular password updates and prohibit password reuse across accounts to limit the window of exploitation for stolen credentials.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): MFA adds an extra layer of security, making it harder for attackers to log in with just a username and password. However, it’s important to acknowledge that MFA can be circumvented and isn’t a foolproof solution.
- Single Sign-On (SSO): Where possible, prioritize SSO over direct credential logins to reduce the overall risk of compromise.
- Limited Login Attempts: Implement limits on login attempts to prevent brute-force attacks and cross-account credential stuffing.
- Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP): Restrict user access rights to the bare minimum necessary for their roles. This limits the scope of damage if an account is compromised.
- Phishing Education: Train employees to recognize and resist phishing attempts, making them less susceptible to this common attack vector.
- Network Defenses: Employ intrusion detection systems and firewalls to detect and block suspicious connections, protecccess.
- Blocking Third–Party Sites: Restrict access to third-party websites that may have weaker security and could serve as vectors for malware infection.
Proactive Detection: Staying Ahead of the Threat
Crucially, detecting leaked credentials before they are abused is paramount. Threat actors often don’t immediately exploit stolen logins; they take time to analyze the data. Effective detection methods include:
- Forum Scanning: Experts can navigate deep and dark web forums to identify username/password combinations linked to your company. While threat actor communities may restrict access, skilled teams can gain the necessary information.
- Log Analysis: Attackers often post “logs” as proof of their breaches on the deep or dark web when selling stolen credentials. These logs may not name the victim company directly but include details like size, industry, and geography. Companies like Cyberint, now a Check Point company, specialize in piecing together this information to identify and notify affected organizations.
The leaked credential mitigation cycle
Stopping Credential Leaks with Cyberint, a Check Point Company
When it comes to detecting credential leaks that impact your company or customers, Cyberint, now a Check Point company, offers comprehensive solutions.
Beyond scanning the deep and dark webs for leaked credentials, Cyberint conducts undercover investigations to verify threats and assess their scope. Cyberint also integrates with SIEM and SOAR tools, enabling fast, automated notifications when leaked credentials appear. Businesses can also configure automated remediations, such as immediately requiring employees to update passwords when credential theft is detected.
These protections extend beyond corporate devices to personal computers. Cyberint can detect instances where employees use company accounts on personal devices, even when endpoint monitoring and security tools are absent – a critical capability given that 46% of devices associated with leaked corporate credentials lack such tools, according to Cyberint data.
