Account takeover protection: login, recovery and session checks

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Account takeover occurs when an attacker gains unauthorised access to a user's account. The attacker aims to steal sensitive information, make fraudulent transactions, or use the account for malicious purposes. Account takeover often targets accounts containing financial data or personal information.

Common Account Takeover Techniques

Attackers use techniques to gain unauthorised account access:

• Credential stuffing: Testing stolen username/password combinations across multiple sites
• Phishing: Tricking users into revealing login credentials
• Malware: Using keyloggers or other malicious software to capture login information
• Social engineering: Manipulating users to disclose sensitive data
• Brute force attacks: Systematically guessing passwords

Account Takeover Protection Strategies

Organisations can implement protection strategies to secure user accounts:

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Requiring additional verification beyond passwords
• Advanced rate limiting: Restricting the number of login attempts
• Bot detection: Identifying and blocking automated login attempts
• Breached credential monitoring: Checking passwords against known compromised credentials
• Residential proxy detection: Check proxy use alongside accounts, request rates and login results
• Risk-based authentication: Applying stricter verification for high-risk actions

Account Takeover Detection Methods

Detecting account takeover attempts requires monitoring for suspicious activity:

• Anomaly detection: Identifying login patterns that deviate from normal user behaviour
• Device fingerprinting: Tracking characteristics of devices used to access accounts
• Behavioural biometrics: Analysing user interactions like typing patterns or mouse movements
• Location monitoring: Flagging logins from unusual geographic locations
• Session analysis: Examining user session characteristics for signs of compromise

Start with login and account recovery

List the routes for login, password reset, MFA recovery and session changes. Record successful logins, failed attempts, resets and reported account loss. Review repeated failures across accounts and IP addresses.

Use account takeover protection to assess the controls around those routes. Start new rules in logging mode. Review mistakes with support staff, then enable a limited rule and compare successful user journeys with attack attempts.

Best Practices for Preventing Account Takeover

Organisations can follow best practices to strengthen account security:

• Implement strong password policies
• Educate users on security awareness and phishing prevention
• Use fraud protection systems to detect suspicious transactions
• Employ contextual security measures that adapt based on risk level
• Regularly audit user accounts and access privileges
• Keep software and systems updated and patched
• Use encryption for sensitive data storage and transmission
• Develop and test an incident response plan for account takeover events

Keep a recovery process for customers who lose access. Give support staff a clear way to verify the account owner, end stolen sessions and review disputed blocks.