LAS VEGAS, April 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- 2019 NAB
Show, Booth SL3324 – Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM), the intelligent
edge platform for securing and delivering digital experiences,
today released research detailing wide-ranging credential abuse
attacks against online video and music streaming services. Among
the findings in the State of the Internet / Security: Credential
Stuffing: Attacks and Economies – Special Media Report,
three of the largest credential stuffing attacks against streaming
services in 2018, ranging in size from 133 million to 200 million
attempts, took place shortly after reported data breaches,
indicating hackers were likely testing stolen credentials before
selling them.
Security of streaming properties is top of mind at the 2019 NAB
Show in Las Vegas this week, where
Akamai's Director of Security Technology and Strategy Patrick Sullivan unveiled the new research
during an NAB Cybersecurity & Content Protection Summit
presentation. He will discuss the findings on AkamaiTV, streaming
live from Akamai's NAB booth, SL3324, on Monday, April 8th, at 12:30 PM PT. Akamai experts will also be
available throughout the show to demonstrate and detail the
Company's security capabilities.
The attack method studied is commonly referred to as "credential
stuffing," in which nefarious actors tap automated tools to use
stolen login information to attempt to gain access to user accounts
on other online sites, on the assumption that consumers use the
same login and password for multiple services.
"Hackers are very attracted to the high profile and value of
online streaming services," said Sullivan.
Stolen credentials can be used for a host of illicit purposes,
not the least of which is enabling non-subscribers to view content
via pirated streaming accounts. Compromised accounts are also sold,
traded or harvested for various types of personal information, and
they are often available for purchase in bulk on the Dark Web,
according to Akamai researchers.
"Educating subscribers on the importance of using unique
username and password combinations is one of the most effective
measures businesses can take to mitigate credential abuse. The good
news is that organizations are taking the threat seriously and
investigating security defenses, as evidenced by the discussions at
NAB. Akamai offers its research and best practices to help these
organizations who are facing significant brand and financial harm,"
Sullivan added.
The report spotlights how Akamai researchers discovered easily
accessible online video tutorials that provide step-by-step
instructions for executing credential stuffing attacks, including
using All-in-One applications to validate stolen or generated
credentials. The report lists the United
States as the top country of origin for the attacks,
followed by Russia and
Canada. The U.S. is also the top
target, followed by India and
Canada. Previous Akamai research
noted that media, gaming and entertainment companies saw 11.6
billion attacks between May and December
2018.
The 2019 State of the Internet / Security: Credential
Stuffing: Attacks and Economies – Special Media Report
is available for download here. For additional information about
credential abuse – specifically credential stuffing – and advice
for organizations facing these types of attacks, visit
Akamai's resource site.
About Akamai
Akamai secures and delivers digital
experiences for the world's largest companies. Akamai's intelligent
edge platform surrounds everything, from the enterprise to the
cloud, so customers and their businesses can be fast, smart, and
secure. Top brands globally rely on Akamai to help them realize
competitive advantage through agile solutions that extend the power
of their multi-cloud architectures. Akamai keeps decisions, apps
and experiences closer to users than anyone — and attacks and
threats far away. Akamai's portfolio of edge security, web and
mobile performance, enterprise access and video delivery solutions
is supported by unmatched customer service, analytics and 24/7/365
monitoring. To learn why the world's top brands trust Akamai, visit
www.akamai.com, blogs.akamai.com, or @Akamai on Twitter.
Akamai Contacts:
Chris
Nicholson
Media Relations
+1 617 444 2987
cnichols@akamai.com
Tom Barth
Investor Relations
+1 617 274 7130
tbarth@akamai.com
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SOURCE Akamai