Key Themes
Introduction
Attackers have shifted from exploiting perimeter weaknesses to logging in with stolen identities, bought from specialised credential marketplaces.
By the time a bank detects fraud, it is watching the final act of a story that began months earlier.
Picture the actual sequence: a customer downloads what looks like a free PDF converter, or clicks a sponsored search result that mimics a tool they already use. Nothing appears to happen, but in the background, an infostealer copies every password saved in their browser, their session cookies, their autofill details, and the corporate login they use for work, then deletes itself.
The customer notices nothing, their bank notices nothing, because from the bank’s side nothing has happened yet.
Six weeks later, on a normal Tuesday, someone logs in with the stolen password, gets past the one-time code by phoning the…
HOW TO SPOT A “RED FLAG” (THE BEHAVIORAL AUDIT)
Keep an eye out for these behavioral shifts in your staff:
Refusal to take leave: Afraid someone will find their “adjustments.”
Unexplained wealth: Buying luxury items that don’t match their known salary.
Working odd hours: Preferring to work alone late at night when no one is watching the system.
“Gatekeeper” behavior: Becoming overly defensive or angry when someone asks to see their records.