Credential theft refers to the act of unlawfully acquiring authentication information — i.e., usernames, passwords, tokens, keys — to gain access to an application, network, or system. Cybercriminals steal credentials using a variety of methods, such as infostealers, phishing, and credential stuffing.
Real-time monitoring helps companies detect, investigate, and remediate incidents involving stolen or leaked credentials. There are many types of real-time monitoring, each focusing on different parts of an organization’s system. Each monitoring method detects indications of credential theft during an incident in different ways.
Types of real-time monitoring and how they work
Credential theft is the first stage of a credential-based attack. Security teams have many options when it comes to monitoring and identifying incidents involving stolen or leaked credentials:
Monitoring of privileged users, accounts, and sessions
Privileged accounts are prime targets for cybercriminals because they often have unrestricted access to certain parts of an organization’s system. These parts include networks, servers, databases, and devices. Some privileged accounts have unrestricted access to sensitive company files and can elevate privileges for other users. There are three main types of monitoring for privileged accounts:
- Privileged user monitoring: Allows security teams to continuously monitor the activities of privileged users to detect improper, suspicious, or malicious behaviors. For example, a user transferring sensitive data to an external location (data exfiltration) or clearing audit and network logs could indicate that a cybercriminal has infiltrated the system using stolen credentials.
- Privileged account monitoring: Security teams can use this type of monitoring to track changes to privileged accounts at the account level. Once a cybercriminal gains unauthorized access to a privileged account, they can attempt to invade other accounts and elevate their administrative rights. Privileged account monitoring detects these changes.
- Privileged session monitoring: Involves tracking and analyzing the actions of users during specific sessions. Session monitoring solutions typically include real-time alerts for risky activities during privileged user sessions, such as visiting suspicious URLs and using unauthorized USBs. Suspicious session activities could indicate that the user’s credentials have been stolen by a cybercriminal who now controls the account.
Endpoint monitoring
Provides visibility into the security of an organization’s endpoints and network-connected devices. This type of monitoring detects and identifies known threats based on signatures and new threats based on behavioral analysis. Endpoint monitoring enables security teams to see signs of malicious activity and unusual changes in company systems. For example, they can detect email phishing attacks and malware infections, which can lead to credential compromise.
Network security monitoring (NSM)
NSM goes beyond traditional intrusion detection, collecting and analyzing all available network data types to detect intrusions and security threats in networks. Data types collected include traffic, log, flow, and event. Security teams can use NSM to detect unusual outbound traffic and potential communication with command and control (C2) servers. Cybercriminals use C2 servers for various attacks, including advanced persistent threats (APTs) and ransomware attacks. The initial compromise for these attacks often begins with stolen credentials.
File integrity monitoring (FIM)
FIM tools monitor and analyze system components to uncover suspicious changes that could indicate a cyberattack. Monitored components include files, directories, databases, and registries. File integrity monitoring doesn’t prevent credential theft, but it does identify file changes that occur following credential compromise. Many cybercriminals alter log files to cover their tracks, but an FIM tool can detect those changes because it compares each log file against a previously set baseline.
Dark web monitoring
This type of monitoring involves systematically scanning the hidden internet, collecting and analyzing data from various sources, including hacker forums and dark web marketplaces. Security teams can use dark web monitoring to enhance intelligence operations for current incidents. For example, they can see if company credentials are currently for sale on dark web marketplaces. If so, they can take steps to remediate the incident, such as forcing password resets.
This is not a comprehensive list. There are more types of real-time monitoring available. Some of them, like dark web monitoring, enable security teams to detect stolen and leaked credentials before cybercriminals can use them.
Detecting credential-based incidents requires multiple solutions
Credential theft increased 800% in the first six months of 2025. Not surprising since cybercriminals know they need credentials to unlock an organization’s networks and systems. They continuously find new and more clever ways to obtain and use credentials.
Security teams must implement multiple real-time monitoring solutions to quickly detect potential intrusions and threats lurking in their systems. They should also take proactive steps to prevent cybercriminals from obtaining company credentials.
For example, they could implement solutions for credential theft prevention, such as phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication or passwordless authentication. They could also require all employees and contractors to use secure devices with built-in credential protection.
With effective approaches to real-time monitoring and credential theft detection in place, companies can reduce the risks of credential-based incidents.
