Despite significant investment in advanced technology and employee training programs, credential- and user-based attacks remain highly prevalent, accounting for 50-80% of enterprise breaches(1),(2). While identity-based attacks continue to dominate as the primary cause of security incidents, the general approach to identity security threats is still threat mitigation, implementing layers of controls to reduce risk, while recognizing that some attacks will be successful. This methodology relies on detection, response and recovery capabilities to minimize damage after a breach has already occurred, but it does not prevent the possibility of successful attacks.
Good news? Finally, there is a solution that represents a real paradigm shift: with today’s authentication technologies, complete elimination of identity-based threats is now within reach. This ground-breaking achievement goes beyond the traditional focus on risk mitigation, offering organizations a way to completely neutralize this critical threat vector. For the first time, prevention isn’t just a goal—it’s a reality that’s changing the landscape of identity security.
What are identity-based threats?
Identity-based threats such as phishing, stolen or compromised credentials, business email hacking and social engineering remain the most significant attack surface in enterprise environments, affecting 90% of organizations (3). According to IBM Report on the Cost of Data Breach to 2024, phishing and stolen credentials are the two most common attack vectors and are among the most expensive, with an average cost of a breach of $4.8 million. Attackers using valid credentials can move freely within systems, making this tactic extremely useful for threat actors.
The persistence of identity-based threats can be traced to fundamental weaknesses in traditional authentication mechanisms that rely on shared secrets such as passwords, PINs, and recovery questions. Not only are these shared secrets outdated, but they are also inherently vulnerable, creating a fertile ground for attackers to exploit. Let’s break down the problem:
- Phishing attacks: With the advancement of artificial intelligence tools, attackers can easily create highly convincing traps, tricking users into revealing their credentials through emails, fake websites, and social media posts. No matter how complex or unique the password is, once the user is tricked, the attacker gains access.
- Imitation of the verifier: Attackers were able to impersonate trusted organizations, such as login portals or help desks. By impersonating these verifiers, they can intercept credentials without users realizing they’ve been compromised. This makes theft not only effective, but also invisible, bypassing many traditional defenses.
- Password reset threads: Processes designed to help users regain access after they forget or compromise their password have become major attack vectors. Attackers use social engineering tactics, using bits of information gleaned from social networks or purchased on the dark web to manipulate these workflows, bypass security measures, and take control of accounts.
- Device hacking: Even with advanced mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), a breach of a trusted device can undermine identity integrity. Malware or other malicious tools on a user’s device can intercept authentication codes or impersonate trusted endpoints, rendering these protections ineffective.
Features of an access solution that eliminates identity-based threats
Legacy authentication systems are ineffective at preventing identity-based attacks because they rely on security through obscurity. These systems depend on a combination of vulnerabilities, shared secrets, and human decision-making, all of which are susceptible to exploitation.
True elimination of identity-based threats requires an authentication architecture that makes entire classes of attacks technically impossible. This is achieved through strong cryptographic controls, hardware-backed security measures, and continuous validation to ensure ongoing reliability throughout the authentication process.
The following key features define an access solution designed to achieve complete elimination of identity-based threats.
Resistant to phishing
Modern authentication architectures must be designed to eliminate the risk of credential theft through phishing attacks. To achieve this, they should include:
- Elimination of shared secrets: Remove shared secrets such as passwords, PINs, and recovery questions during the authentication process.
- Cryptographic binding: Bind credentials cryptographically to authenticated devices, ensuring they cannot be reused elsewhere.
- Automated authentication: Implementing authentication flows that minimize or eliminate reliance on human judgment, reducing opportunities for fraud.
- Hardware credential storage: Securely store credentials in hardware, making them resistant to extraction or spoofing.
- There are no weak backup options: Avoid fallback mechanisms that rely on weaker authentication factors, as they may re-introduce vulnerabilities.
By addressing these key areas, phishing-resistant architectures create robust defenses against one of the most common attack vectors.
Resistance to impersonation of the verifier
Recognizing legitimate links is inherently difficult for users, making it easy for attackers to exploit this weakness. To combat this, Beyond Identity authentication uses a platform authenticator that verifies the origin of access requests. This approach ensures that only legitimate requests are processed, effectively preventing attacks based on impersonating legitimate sites.
To fully resist verifier impersonation, access solutions should include:
- Strong origin binding: ensure that all authentication requests are securely bound to the origin.
- Checking the cryptographic verifier: Use cryptographic methods to confirm the identity of the verifier and block unauthorized imposters.
- Integrity request: Prevent redirection or manipulation of authentication requests during transmission.
- Processes resistant to phishing: Disable authentication mechanisms vulnerable to phishing, such as shared secrets or one-time codes.
By implementing these measures, organizations can neutralize the risk of attackers impersonating legitimate authentication services.
Security device compliance
Authentication involves not only verifying the user, but also assessing the security of his device. Beyond Identity stands out as the only access management (AM) solution on the market that provides accurate, granular access control by assessing device risk in real-time both during authentication and continuously throughout active sessions.
A key benefit of a platform authenticator installed on a device is its ability to provide proven impersonation resistance, ensuring that attackers cannot impersonate legitimate authentication services. Another key benefit is its ability to provide real-time location and risk data directly from the device, such as whether the firewall is enabled, biometrics are active, disk encryption is in place, the designated user is authenticated, and more.
With the Beyond Identity Platform Authenticator, organizations can ensure user identity through phishing-resistant authentication while ensuring security is maintained on devices requesting access. This ensures that only trusted users using secure devices are granted access to your environment.
Continuous risk-based access control
Authenticating the user and verifying device compliance at the access point is an important first step, but what happens if the user changes their device configuration? Even legitimate users can unknowingly create risks by disabling firewalls, downloading malicious files, or installing software with known vulnerabilities. Continuous risk assessment for both the device and the user is essential to ensure that no exploitable device becomes a gateway for attackers.
Beyond Identity solves this by continuously monitoring any changes in a user’s environment and providing automated controls to block access when a configuration shift or risky behavior is detected. By integrating signals from a customer’s existing security stack (such as EDR, MDM and ZTNA tools) along with proprietary telemetry, Beyond Identity turns risk information into access decisions. It enables organizations to create policies precisely tailored to their business needs and compliance requirements, providing a secure and adaptive approach to access control.
Identity Managers and Security Professionals – Eliminate Identity Attacks in Your Organizations
You probably already have an identity solution in place and can even use MFA. The problem is that these systems are still vulnerable and attackers know how to exploit them. Identity-based attacks remain a significant threat, targeting these weaknesses to gain access.
With Beyond Identity, you can strengthen your security stack and address these vulnerabilities. Our phishing-resistant authentication solution ensures both user identification and device matching, providing deterministic, advanced security.
Get in touch for a personalized demo to see first-hand how the solution works and understand how we provide security guarantees.
