In this article, you'll find detailed information about the nature of a sinkhole attack, how it's executed, and practical security tips to help you protect your computer and data from potential threats.
1171 
Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting cloud services by exploiting stolen credentials and manipulating user privileges. To avoid account compromise, companies need to implement Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) – a system that provides complete control over SaaS applications and allows you to detect threats before data is leaked.
Identity threats are becoming one of the most serious cybersecurity issues. Attackers use stolen credentials, hack authentication methods, and manipulate user privileges. While most security systems focus on protecting cloud environments, networks, and endpoints, they often ignore the threats associated with SaaS identities. This security gap becomes critical for companies whose operations are completely dependent on cloud services. How to effectively respond to attacks aimed at compromising accounts? The answer is Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR), which provides full visibility into all activities and allows you to instantly respond to threats before they lead to data leakage.
Cybercriminals are looking for the smallest gaps in security systems, and SaaS applications are increasingly becoming their main target. Traditional cyber defense methods, such as XDR and EDR, do not cover the specific threats that affect SaaS services, leaving serious loopholes for attacks. A complete ITDR solution should include:
monitoring activity in cloud applications;
integration with identity providers (IdP);
detailed analysis of authentication logs.
A prime example is the Slack hack, which demonstrated the vulnerability of OAuth tokens. Hackers obtained employee credentials, which allowed them to log in without two-factor authentication. As a result, they gained access to internal company data, and traditional cybersecurity systems were unable to quickly track this threat.
To prevent such attacks, an ITDR solution must constantly scan SaaS applications such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Jira, Github and detect suspicious activity in real time.
One of the most dangerous threats is account hijacking. Once an attacker gains access to an employee’s credentials, they can seamlessly move between services, escalate their privileges, and obtain critical information. To prevent such attacks, it is necessary to track all user activity in the SaaS ecosystem.
Key elements of identity protection:
a timeline of all actions of a single account in cloud services;
monitoring of changes in authentication and privileges;
analysis of activity of service accounts, API keys and OAuth tokens.
For example, the Uber hack began with an employee’s credentials being compromised. Hackers gained access to corporate Slack and then used OAuth access to steal sensitive data from the company’s internal resources. Management was unable to quickly detect the intrusion because traditional security systems did not take into account anomalous changes in authentication data.
To avoid such situations, it is worth implementing User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) — a system that monitors unusual account behavior and identifies potential threats.
Standard threat detection methods are ineffective against credential theft attacks. Attackers can disguise their actions by using legitimate accounts, VPNs, and methods to bypass traditional defenses. Therefore, ITDR must include advanced threat analytics.
What helps to effectively detect attacks?
analyzing darknet activity to identify stolen credentials before they are used;
automatically detecting IP addresses associated with fraudulent transactions;
correlating user behavior with known indicators of compromise (IoCs).
Using MITRE ATT&CK helps not only classify attacks, but also track their development, timely blocking attempts to penetrate SaaS accounts.
One of the most serious cybersecurity challenges is alert overload. Organizations receive thousands of alerts about suspicious activity, but cannot quickly identify the real threats. ITDR should automatically rank incidents, highlighting critical attacks.
Key mechanisms:
dynamic real-time risk assessment;
detection of anomalous behavior (e.g., repeated failed login attempts, sudden privilege escalation, unusual movement between services);
linking events into a single attack chain for a comprehensive understanding of the situation.
This approach allows you to significantly reduce the burden on security teams, shorten threat response times, and focus on the most critical incidents, preventing possible data leaks and system compromise.
True cyber defense is not possible without ITDR integration with SIEM and SOAR. This allows you to automatically respond to attacks, not just record an incident. Effective ITDR systems should include step-by-step instructions for responding to threats for each SaaS platform and each type of attack.
Automated response playbooks allow you to instantly block suspicious accounts, revoke compromised API keys, and restrict attackers’ access, preventing further attacks.
ITDR is not just about detecting attacks, it’s about preventing vulnerabilities. It’s critical to monitor and correct misconfigurations that could compromise the security of SaaS identities.
SSPM helps analyze access levels, identify weaknesses in security policies (e.g., lack of MFA, weak passwords, excessive privileges), and automatically remediate potential risks.
One critical aspect of security is controlling “dead” accounts. After employees are fired, their accounts can remain active in cloud systems, making them easy targets for attackers.
Modern cyberattacks are aimed at stealing credentials and manipulating user privileges. To effectively protect SaaS services, a new approach is needed that focuses on identity threats.
A complete ITDR solution should include:
Global SaaS ecosystem control covering all cloud applications and identity providers (IdPs).
Identity-centric monitoring that tracks every account action.
Threat intelligence using the MITRE ATT&CK framework to recognize and classify attacks.
Automated incident prioritization that reduces false positives and helps you focus on real threats.
Integration with SIEM, SOAR, and SSPM that provides instant response to attacks and minimizes human intervention.
Not all heroes wear capes—some just have a solid ITDR system. It’s time to take SaaS identity protection to the next level before attackers get the keys to your digital fortress.
1171 
376 
791