Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and dangerous. Infostealers, a type of malware designed to steal credentials and sensitive information, have infected more than 30 million devices in recent years, according to a survey by Hudson Rock. These attacks have resulted in massive leaks of corporate data, facilitating intrusions, financial fraud and compromises of critical systems.
Identity governance and access control have become an urgent necessity for companies wishing to protect themselves against these threats. But how do these attacks happen? And how can companies protect themselves effectively? Let's explore all this now.
The evolution of infostealers and their impact on companies
From simple threats to sophisticated attacks
Infostealers emerged as simple malware designed to steal passwords, authentication tokens, cookies and financial data. Unlike ransomware, which blocks systems and demands ransoms, this malware operates silently, capturing credentials and selling them on the dark web or using them in targeted attacks.
According to a report by Lumu Technologies (2024), generative artificial intelligence will allow criminals to refine their techniques before companies can react, making infostealers even more lethal. A study by Kela, "The State of Cybercrime 2024", revealed that more than 330 million credentials were exposed by infostealers, compromising at least 4.3 million devices globally. This growth has consolidated this malware as one of cybercriminals' favorite tools.
The impact of Infostealers on corporate security
As these threats have evolved, infostealers have started to operate under the Malware as a Service (MaaS) model, allowing any criminal to acquire an infostealer ready to use, without the need for technical knowledge. This has drastically expanded the scope of attacks, making them more accessible and frequent.
What's more, modern infostealers don't just steal passwords stored in browsers. Many capture authentication tokens and session cookies, allowing criminals to access accounts even after changing passwords. This reduces the effectiveness of traditional security measures.
Another worrying factor is the automation of attacks. Hackers use artificial intelligence to test leaked credentials on hundreds of services simultaneously(credential stuffing), increasing the success rate of invasions. Experts point out that infostealers are already responsible for a large part of the attacks that result in ransomware and other critical breaches.
The need for an advanced security approach
Faced with this scenario, relying solely on antivirus and firewalls is no longer enough. Companies need to adopt advanced identity governance strategies and continuous access control, ensuring that compromised credentials don't become a gateway to devastating attacks.
Alarming statistics: The growing risk of infostealers
Attacks with infostealers have grown exponentially, compromising millions of devices and becoming one of the biggest risks to digital security. A study by Hudson Rock revealed that more than 30 million devices have been infected, affecting the systems of major organizations such as the Pentagon, FBI and Lockheed Martin. In addition, Kela pointed out that more than 330 million credentials have been leaked in recent years, affecting millions of companies and users. In the financial sector, Kaspersky identified that between 2023 and 2024, 2.3 million bank cards were sold on the dark web after infections by infostealers, exposing consumers and institutions to million-dollar frauds.
Brazil is one of the most affected countries in Latin America, accounting for 19% of infections in the region, according to a study by Security Leaders. The public sector also suffers from these attacks: a survey by Veja revealed that in the last five years, the federal government has recorded 58,000 cyber incidents, including 9,000 data leaks. These figures make it clear that identity governance and strict access control are urgently needed. Without automation and continuous monitoring, companies and governments will remain vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated attacks.
Real cases: The price of credential leaks
Infostealers have already caused some of the biggest data breaches in recent years, affecting both private companies and government institutions. In 2024, Snowflake was the target of an attack where criminals used leaked credentials to access data from companies such as Ticketmaster and Banco Santander, impacting millions of users. In the financial sector, Banco Santander also suffered a significant leak when a database was compromised, exposing clients in Spain, Chile and Uruguay. In the public sector, a survey revealed that in the last five years, the Brazilian government has recorded 58,000 cyber incidents, showing that the lack of control over credentials exposes even highly protected institutions.
These cases show that compromised credentials are one of the biggest cyber risks today. Companies that don't adopt strict access control policies and continuous monitoring are vulnerable to attacks that can lead to financial losses, reputational damage and severe regulatory sanctions. With laws such as LGPD, GDPR and CCPA, identity governance and access management automation are no longer just a recommendation - they are a necessity to prevent further leaks and strengthen digital security.
How can you protect your company from infostealers and data leaks?
With the growth of cyber threats, companies need effective strategies to prevent compromised credentials from being exploited by criminals. Antivirus and firewalls alone are no longer enough. It is essential to adopt strict access control, continuous monitoring and robust identity governance policies.
Continuous monitoring and control of credentials
One of the best ways to prevent attacks is to identify leaked credentials early on. Many companies only discover that they have been compromised when it is too late. To avoid this scenario, it is essential to use tools that monitor the dark web, identity management solutions to detect suspicious access and regular audits to ensure that users only have the permissions they need.
Authentication and intelligent access management
The exclusive use of passwords no longer protects against attacks. Infostealers capture credentials and authentication tokens, making it essential to adopt multiple layers of security. Companies must invest in advanced multi-factor authentication (MFA), implement Zero Trust policies to continuously validate access and reinforce control over privileged accounts, reducing the risk of improper access.
Automation and rapid response to incidents
Attacks based on stolen credentials occur quickly and automatically. Companies without an agile response strategy are vulnerable. To mitigate the damage, it is essential to automate the provisioning and revocation of access, ensure automatic blocks for suspicious activity and integrate artificial intelligence into security, enabling real-time detection and response.
Identity governance: The pillar of security
Without identity governance, companies are exposed to human error and inefficient manual processes. Implementing solutions such as SailPoint offers total visibility over identities and access, ensuring that only authorized users have essential permissions. In addition, constant reviews prevent compliance failures and reduce the risk of data leaks.
Solutions like SailPoint are essential for simplifying identity management and protecting companies against cyber threats. In the next topic, we explore how this technology works to mitigate these risks and why it is one of the most effective on the market.
How does SailPoint work to mitigate these threats?
With the increase in credential leaks and infostealer-based attacks, companies need solutions that go beyond traditional security approaches. SailPoint stands out as one of the leading identity governance and administration platforms, allowing you to automate, monitor and reinforce access security to prevent intrusions and ensure regulatory compliance.
Access automation: Strict and secure control
One of the critical challenges in identity security is ensuring that only the right users have access to the right resources. Many breaches occur because ex-employees maintain active credentials or because excessive permissions are not adjusted.
With SailPoint, access provisioning and deprovisioning is fully automated. New employees receive only the permissions essential to their role, and any change of position automatically updates their permissions. When they leave the company, all access is revoked immediately, reducing the risk of compromised credentials being exploited.
Intelligent monitoring and detection of suspicious accesses
Infostealers operate silently, which makes it essential to identify suspicious activity before leaked credentials are exploited. SailPoint uses artificial intelligence to monitor access in real time and detect unusual patterns, such as:
- Repeated login attempts on different systems.
- Access from geographically distant locations.
- Users accessing systems outside their usual functions.
If an anomaly is detected, automatic measures are triggered, such as temporary blocks and re-authentication requests, preventing intrusions from taking place.
Compliance and reduction of regulatory risks
Companies operating in regulated sectors need to ensure total control over who accesses what information, when and why. SailPoint simplifies access audits and reviews, generating detailed reports and compliance automation, reducing the time and effort needed to comply with regulations such as LGPD, GDPR and SOX.
Reduction of the attack surface and protection against ransomware
Many ransomware attacks start with infostealers that steal credentials and allow criminals to escalate privileges within the network. SailPoint minimizes this risk by limiting unnecessary access, applying strict restrictions to privileged accounts and centralizing identity governance in hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
Why are companies adopting SailPoint?
In addition to increasing digital security, companies that implement SailPoint achieve significant operational gains, such as:
- Reduction in onboarding time from 14 hours to 2.5 minutes.
- Immediate revocation of access, eliminating the risk of active credentials after disconnection.
- Automation of 62,000 access requests per year, reducing the need for manual processes.
- Savings of more than 1 million dollars in annual operating costs.
With automated and efficient management, SailPoint allows companies to reduce risks, guarantee regulatory compliance and optimize processes, making identity security a strategic differentiator.
How does Asper help companies implement and manage sailPoint?
Implementing SailPoint effectively requires expertise to ensure that the solution meets the specific needs of each company. At Asper, we are experts in identity governance, helping organizations to optimize access security and mitigate risks by ensuring that only authorized users are allowed to access critical data.
Strategic planning and customized implementation
Each company has specific identity management challenges. That's why we carry out detailed access mapping, identify vulnerabilities and create customized policies to guarantee secure and efficient permissions.
During implementation, we automated the provisioning and deprovisioning of access, ensuring that new employees quickly have the correct permissions and that former employees have their access revoked immediately. In addition, we integrated SailPoint into the company's systems smoothly, without impacting productivity.
Continuous management and security monitoring
Identity governance must constantly evolve to keep up with new threats. At Asper, we ensure that SailPoint continues to operate with maximum efficiency, adjusting access policies as necessary.
We monitor access and suspicious activity in real time, preventing attacks before they cause damage. We also carry out periodic reviews of permissions, ensuring compliance with standards such as LGPD and GDPR, as well as offering training to empower internal teams in the strategic use of SailPoint.
Why choose Asper?
We have the experience needed to accelerate the implementation of SailPoint, ensuring security and efficiency from day one. Our approach reduces the risk of improper access, improves regulatory compliance and makes identity management more agile and intelligent.
With Asper, your company will have total control over identities and access, ensuring that only the right people have the right permissions at the right time.
Identity security is no longer an option - it's a necessity
Infostealers have become one of today's biggest cyberthreats, compromising credentials, access and critical data of companies around the world. A single leaked credential can be enough to pave the way for devastating intrusions, resulting in data theft, ransomware attacks and regulatory violations.
To protect themselves, companies can no longer rely solely on traditional security solutions. It is essential to adopt a proactive approach, based on identity governance, continuous monitoring and access automation.
SailPoint stands out as one of the best solutions for ensuring that only the right people have the right access at the right time, preventing compromised credentials from being exploited. However, to get the most out of the solution, it is essential to rely on a specialized partner.
At Asper, we implement and manage SailPoint in a strategic and personalized way, ensuring that your company has total control over identities and access. With our expertise, we help organizations strengthen digital security, avoid operational risks and ensure compliance with regulations such as LGPD and GDPR.
Identity security is no longer a differentiator - it's an urgent necessity. The time to act is now. If your company is looking for efficient protection against cyber threats, count on Asper to lead the way with strategy and efficiency.
Want to find out how Asper can help your company implement SailPoint and make your business's digital defense more robust? Click on the button below to find out how we can help you.
