Logged In, Locked Out: How Stolen Identities Became the New Frontline of Cyber Attacks
Tuesday 17th February 2026
Identity‑based cyberattacks are accelerating at an unprecedented rate, with new data from Sophos X‑Ops revealing a dramatic 688% surge in stolen credentials over the past three years. This spike highlights a growing trend: attackers are increasingly shifting their focus toward identity compromise as the first step in broader breaches.
As organisations continue to expand their digital estates, identity has become a primary attack surface. Once credentials are stolen, adversaries can silently infiltrate systems, escalate privileges, and move laterally - often undetected until significant damage is done.
To counter this rising threat, Sophos has strengthened its security ecosystem with Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) alongside its established Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service. Together, these solutions enable organisations to detect compromised identities early, reduce dwell time, and prevent attackers from gaining a foothold in critical systems.
By combining threat intelligence from Sophos X‑Ops with real‑time identity monitoring, ITDR gives security teams visibility into suspicious logins, privilege misuse, and credential theft attempts - capabilities that are increasingly essential in today’s identity‑first threat landscape. Sophos emphasises that identity‑driven security is no longer optional, as attackers continue to automate and industrialise their credential‑stealing techniques.
The shift toward identity‑centric defence marks a major evolution in modern cybersecurity, placing continuous identity monitoring and rapid incident response at the heart of organisational resilience.
Identity attacks are skyrocketing - and most breaches start with stolen credentials.
Sophos X‑Ops has seen a 688% rise in stolen credentials in just three years, making identity compromise one of today’s most dangerous and fast‑moving threats.
With Sophos ITDR and Sophos MDR, organisations can detect compromised identities early stopping attackers before they break in, escalate privileges, or move laterally.
Identity‑first security matters now more than ever. To find out more please get in touch with us at [email protected].
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