Human risk management: the key to mitigating account takeover attacks

Account takeover (ATO) attacks are rising year after year, despite organizations investing heavily in multi-factor authentication. The reason? Cybercriminals’ tactics are evolving—and MFA is no match. 

Just take last month’s phishing attack targeting Microsoft ADFS. Hackers sent fake IT emails, tricking employees into logging into a cloned ADFS page. The moment victims entered their credentials and MFA codes, attackers harvested them. Within minutes, accounts were compromised, proving once again that MFA alone isn’t enough.

This is just one example of the next generation of ATO attacks—quick, deceptive, and highly sophisticated. If organizations don’t adapt, attackers will keep slipping through the cracks. 

The solution? Human risk management—the most effective way to detect and stop account takeover attacks before they cause damage.

Here’s what organizations need to know.

What are account takeover attacks? 

An account takeover (ATO) is a cyberattack where a malicious actor gains unauthorized access to a user’s account using stolen or compromised credentials. Once inside, they can steal sensitive data, commit fraud, and move laterally within an organization—all without detection. 

With an endless supply of compromised passwords floating around the dark web, it’s no surprise that ATOs have become a go-to tactic for cybercriminals In 2024 alone, 99% of organizations were targeted, and 62% of these companies experienced at least one successful account takeover.

The impact of these breaches can be significant. Once an attacker gains access, extracting sensitive data becomes effortless. That data can be weaponized in ransomware attacks, sold on the dark web, or worse—used to launch hyper-realistic scams. 

With the rise of generative AI, attackers can now craft highly convincing emails, messages, or even deepfake content to manipulate employees into transferring funds or disclosing further sensitive information.

If you think MFA seems like a reliable safeguard, you need to think again. The Microsoft ADFS phishing attack is just one of a new wave of ATO techniques specifically designed to circumvent MFA. Major organizations—including Uber, Twilio, and Rockstar Games—have all suffered breaches due to an overreliance on MFA as a standalone security measure.

A new era of ATO demands a new solution 

With account takeover (ATO) attacks becoming more sophisticated—and more successful—organizations need a way to detect compromised accounts before they can cause harm. This is where human risk management (HRM) comes in.

HRM is a proactive security strategy designed to identify, measure, and mitigate insider threats, whether accidental or malicious—including compromised accounts. HRM solutions continuously monitor user interactions with sensitive data across platforms, flagging risky behavior such as unusual download attempts, deviations from normal access patterns, and other anomalies. 

When suspicious activity is detected, automated controls take action in real time, applying zero-trust principles to redact sensitive data, restrict access, or block high-risk actions entirely.

On the backend, security teams gain access to a centralized interface with risk-based user scores, enabling them to quickly respond to ATO attacks before they escalate. 

What to look for in a HRM solution 

Not all HRM solutions are built the same. Some focus on specific aspects of human risk—like phishing simulations or security prompts in emails. While these can help raise awareness, they don’t stop ATO attacks once they’re in motion.

To truly combat ATOs, you need a holistic HRM solution that monitors user interactions at the data level—identifying risks in real time and taking action before damage is done.

Here’s what to look for.

Deep data discovery

Your HRM solution should identify and classify sensitive data both in real time and retrospectively, across structured and unstructured sources. The most effective tools leverage natural language processing (NLP) and RegEx to ensure classification is not just precise but also context-aware, reducing false positives and strengthening security controls.  

Least privilege access control

Data access should be strictly role-based—employees should only see what they need to do their jobs. A strong HRM solution enforces least privilege access, meaning if, say, a hacker compromises a marketing executive’s account, they won’t have unrestricted access to HR or financial data. Any unauthorized attempts? Flagged and escalated to the security team.

Real-time monitoring and action

HRM tools should provide continuous, AI-driven monitoring that tracks user behavior, detects anomalies, and automatically responds to threats. In an account takeover (ATO) scenario, the system should redact, block, or isolate access in real time—while immediately alerting security personnel for further action.

Active learning 

Human risk management solutions shouldn’t just protect against malicious insiders and compromised accounts. They should also empower employees to be proactive custodians of security. The key? Active learning. The right HRM tool doesn’t just detect risky behavior; it guides users toward better security decisions in real time. Look for solutions that incorporate contextual security nudges. These subtle, in-workflow prompts reinforce best practices, reduce errors, and build long-term security awareness.

Mitigate complex ATOs with Polymer 

Polymer blends next-gen DLP with HRM to spot and stop account takeover attacks before they put your data at risk. By monitoring user interactions in real time and enforcing smart security controls, we shut down threats before they turn into data breaches.

Stay ahead of attackers. Request a demo today.