Why Identity Security Is the New Frontline

For years, enterprises have focused on malware detection, endpoint security, and network protection to defend against cyber threats. However, the battlefield has shifted. Attackers are no longer just relying on malware to breach systems. Instead, they steal identities, gain legitimate access to corporate applications, and bypass traditional security defenses.

These identity-based attacks are hard to detect because they do not rely on malicious code or suspicious behaviors that endpoint security tools can flag. Instead, attackers masquerade as legitimate users, making it difficult for security teams to distinguish between real employees and adversaries. This shift demands a new security approach—one that protects identities at their core and ensures that even stolen credentials are rendered useless.

From Malware to Identity Theft: How Attacks Have Evolved

Traditional cyberattacks often involved malware infections, phishing emails, or exploit kits designed to compromise a device. But today, attackers don’t need malware—they need access.

For example, by leveraging Adversary-in-the-Middle (AiTM) techniques, attackers can intercept authentication processes, steal login credentials, and hijack active user sessions without raising alarms. One of the most effective tools used for this is Evilginx2, a phishing framework that captures multi-factor authentication (MFA) tokens and session cookies.

Here’s how it works:

1. The attacker sets up a phishing page that perfectly mimics a real login page (e.g., Microsoft 365, Google Workspace).
2. When the victim enters their credentials, the attacker forwards them to the real service, completing the login.
3. The attacker captures the MFA token and session cookie, allowing them to authenticate as the user—bypassing MFA entirely.

Since the attacker is using a legitimate session token, traditional security solutions like MFA, endpoint security, and network firewalls cannot detect or block the threat. The stolen session behaves exactly like a real user session, making it nearly impossible to spot.

Malicious Browser Extensions: A Stealthy Way to Steal Identities

Another dangerous method of identity theft occurs through malicious browser extensions. These extensions operate inside the browser and can:

• Steal session cookies to take over authenticated sessions.
• Read and exfiltrate keystrokes, including passwords.
• Hijack OAuth authentication flows to gain persistent access to cloud services.

Unlike malware, these attacks do not require the user to download a file or execute a suspicious program. Instead, a simple browser extension—often disguised as a productivity tool—can silently collect data and transmit it to an attacker-controlled server. Since traditional security tools don’t monitor browser extensions, these attacks can go undetected for months.

Example Attack Scenario:

1. An employee installs what appears to be a legitimate Chrome extension for grammar checking.
2. The extension requests overly broad permissions (such as access to all web content).
3. The attacker remotely updates the extension’s behavior, allowing it to capture login credentials, session tokens, and sensitive data.
4. The attacker gains full access to corporate applications without triggering any security alerts.

This highlights a major security gap—most identity security solutions only focus on login protection, but attacks happening inside the browser go completely unnoticed.

Why Identity Security Is Now Critical

The shift from malware-based attacks to identity theft and session hijacking means enterprises must rethink their security posture. Here’s why identity security is now a top priority:

• Stolen credentials bypass traditional security solutions: Attackers no longer need malware to infiltrate corporate environments. If they have a valid session, they are inside.
• MFA is no longer enough: AiTM attacks like Evilginx2 allow attackers to bypass MFA entirely, making it ineffective in stopping sophisticated phishing attacks.
• Security tools don’t monitor what happens inside the browser: Endpoint security tools don’t detect malicious browser extensions or AiTM session theft because no malware is involved.

Why Traditional Security Solutions Fail

Security Solution	Can It Stop AiTM Attacks?	Can It Detect Malicious Extensions?	Can It Block Session Hijacking?
MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)	❌ No (Attackers can steal MFA tokens)	❌ No (Doesn’t inspect browser activity)	❌ No (Session cookies remain valid)
Endpoint Security (EDR)	❌ No (No visibility into browser session theft)	❌ No (Doesn’t monitor browser extensions)	❌ No (Can’t stop legitimate sessions from being used)
Network Security (Firewalls, VPNs)	❌ No (Stolen credentials look like real user logins)	❌ No (Traffic appears legitimate)	❌ No (Session remains valid after login)

This is why identity security needs a new approach—one that protects credentials, monitors browser-based threats, and ensures stolen identities are rendered useless.

How Seraphic Security Solves the Identity Security Challenge

Seraphic takes a multi-layered approach to identity security, ensuring that even if credentials or session cookies are stolen, attackers cannot use them. Here’s how:

1. Preventing Identity Theft at the Browser Level

• Seraphic detects and blocks phishing attempts that try to steal session cookies or MFA tokens.
• It identifies and blocks malicious browser extensions that attempt to hijack user credentials.
• It monitors and secures authentication flows to ensure credentials are not stolen via AiTM attacks.

2. Making Stolen Identities Useless

• Even if an attacker steals session cookies, Seraphic encrypts session tokens, rendering them unusable outside of the legitimate user’s device.
• If an attacker tries to reuse stolen credentials from another location, Seraphic’s context-aware security detects the anomaly and invalidates the session.

3. Enhancing Zero Trust by Securing Every Session

• Seraphic continuously verifies session integrity, ensuring that if an identity is compromised, it cannot be used to move laterally within the organization.
• Unlike traditional solutions that only protect logins, Seraphic monitors session activity in real time to detect suspicious behavior, such as unusual data access or cookie hijacking.

Conclusion: The Future of Identity Security Requires Browser Protection

As cyber threats evolve, enterprises must recognize that the browser is now the frontline of security. Attackers are no longer using malware to break in—they are stealing identities, hijacking sessions, and bypassing security controls with ease.

Traditional security solutions fail to detect and stop these attacks because they focus on endpoints and login authentication rather than what happens inside the browser.

Seraphic Security is changing the game by: 

• Blocking AiTM attacks like Evilginx2
• Detecting and stopping malicious browser extensions
• Encrypting session cookies to make stolen identities useless
• Providing continuous identity protection inside the browser

It’s time for enterprises to rethink identity security. If security stops at the login, it’s already too late. With Seraphic, organizations can ensure that even if credentials are compromised, they remain useless to attackers—providing a true Zero Trust approach to identity security.

For more information about Seraphic’s award-winning and patented enterprise browser security platform, download our Enterprise Browser Security White Paper and GuidePoints Security’s Independent Security Assessment, or book a demo.