What do credential stuffing attacks involve?

Credential stuffing attacks involve the use of stolen credentials, such as usernames and passwords, obtained from one data breach to attempt to gain unauthorized access to accounts on other services. This method exploits the common behavior of users who reuse passwords across multiple sites. When attackers acquire a list of compromised credentials, they automate the process of trying these credentials across various accounts, hoping that users have not changed their passwords or that they have reused the same password on multiple platforms.

The effectiveness of credential stuffing arises primarily because many individuals tend to use the same combinations of usernames and passwords across different services, making accounts vulnerable despite potentially strong security measures in place on the individual services themselves. The attack does not require sophisticated hacking techniques; rather, it capitalizes on user habits and the vast number of compromised accounts available in data dumps or on the dark web.

By understanding how credential stuffing works, organizations can implement stronger authentication methods, such as multi-factor authentication, and educate users on the importance of unique passwords for each service, mitigating the risk of this prevalent attack vector.