How To Prevent Credential Stuffing Attacks

Updated on July 25, 2024.

Any size company, big or small, is capable of becoming a victim of credential stuffing attacks. Organizations can prevent credential stuffing by enforcing the use of strong passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), using a Web Application Firewall (WAP), screening for compromised credentials and more. 

As one of the most common account takeover techniques, your team must be equipped with the knowledge necessary to prevent this attack from happening. Continue reading to learn more about credential stuffing attacks and how to prevent them from occurring at your organization.

Credential stuffing vs password spraying: What’s the difference?

Although both credential stuffing and password spraying are examples of brute force attacks, the two attack methods are different. Credential stuffing highlights the risks of password reuse. Cybercriminals can get a hold of one set of compromised credentials and use that username and password pairing to attempt to gain access to other applications and websites. Password spraying, on the other hand, uses common passwords to gain access to accounts. If a user has a weak or predictable password, their account is at risk of being compromised. 

6 ways to prevent credential stuffing attacks

Here’s how your organization can prevent credential stuffing attacks.

1. Enforce the use of strong passwords

Cybercriminals are banking on the fact that people tend to reuse passwords. In fact, a Google survey found that 65% of all people use the same username and password combination on multiple accounts. Don’t be a statistic. Enforce the use of strong passwords within your organization by investing in a business password manager. Password managers make it easy for IT admins to enforce the use of strong passwords across an organization while also ensuring that passwords are being securely stored and shared by employees. 

2. Enable MFA

Alternatively, organizations should also enforce the use of multi-factor authentication wherever possible. Whether employees use a knowledge-based, possession-based or biometrics MFA method, enabling MFA can prevent 99.9% of cyber attacks on accounts. Even if a cybercriminal gets a hold of an employee’s login credentials, they’ll be stopped dead in their tracks once they realize they must complete a second authentication method, such as answering security questions or providing biometric authentication.

3. Use a web application firewall

A web application firewall can come in software, an appliance or delivered as-a-service. WAFs protect your organization’s applications by filtering, monitoring and blocking any malicious traffic traveling to the web app. They can detect suspicious login attempts and abnormal traffic from bots. They do this by following policies that determine what traffic is malicious and what traffic is safe. For example, multiple login requests from multiple sites or unfamiliar IP addresses can trigger a WAF.

4. Screen for compromised credentials

Dark web monitoring tools are a great way to determine whether credentials have made their way to the dark web. They constantly monitor the dark web and notify users if any matching information has been found. One of the key benefits is that you get notified instantly, allowing you to take action quickly before a data breach occurs.

5. Require users to solve a CAPTCHA

A CAPTCHA is an acronym for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. CAPTCHAs prevent bots’ automated login attempts and verify that the user is human before allowing access to an account.

6. Educate your team

Social engineering is among the most prominent cybersecurity dangers facing small and large enterprises. Your employees are the first line of defense when protecting your organization against social engineering attacks. 

Unsure about your team’s knowledge of social engineering tactics? Conduct a phishing test to see which employees take the bait. Ensure that your team knows the latest social engineering tactics and enforces policies and best practices. For companies operating with remote workers or a hybrid work model, instill good password hygiene best practices so that you have trust in your employees even when outside of the office.

How Keeper® protects organizations from credential stuffing

Credential stuffing is a crucial threat to consider when strategizing how to keep your company safe from cybercriminals. You are only as strong as your weakest link, and one uneducated team member guilty of password reuse can put the entire company at risk. Keeper offers several cybersecurity solutions that protect you and your team from compromising situations. 

Keeper Password Manager generates random, unique passwords and stores them in a secure 256-bit AES-encrypted digital vault that is virtually impossible to crack. Paired with Keeper’s BreachWatch add-on, users will be immediately notified in case their information is found on the dark web so they can take immediate action by updating their passwords. 

Curious to see how Keeper can protect your team from credential-stuffing attacks? Sign up for a free 14-day trial today.