How NAC & SOC Mitigate the Risk of Phishing & Credential-Based Attacks

Phishing Prevention, NAC for Secure Logins & SOC Threat Detection

Phishing emails, dummy login pages, or social engineering traps users into revealing their credentials to attackers. After obtaining credentials, they attempt to gain access to sensitive systems. However, NAC (Network Access Control) and SOC (Security Operations Center) greatly increase the challenge for them to be successful.

So let’s explore how these two security mechanisms prevent potential intruders and stop them in their tracks.

How Phishing Paves the Way For Network Attacks

Attacks that commonly involve their use include phishing. Here’s how it happens:

• Fake Emails: Attackers send emails impersonating trusted entities, leading the user to click on a malicious link.
• Phishing: Redirects to misleading login pages to harvest usernames and passwords.
• Credential Theft: Attackers get the usernames and passwords as soon as users fill them up and try to access the business systems.
• Privilege Escalation: If the captured credentials are those of an admin account, attackers could gain much deeper access into the network.

That’s why businesses must have robust controls to prevent attackers from leveraging them. That’s where NAC and SOCs come into play.

What Does NAC Use to Prevent Unauthorized Logins?

Network Access Control (NAC) helps prevent attackers from blindly using stolen credentials by implementing several security layers. NAC is like a security gate; it checks who and what you are before you cross.

Here’s how NAC prevents phishing-based intrusions:

• Device Authentication: NAC inspects the device they’re logging in from, even if a hacker has valid credentials. If not recognized, access is denied.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): NAC supports MFA, mandating an additional verification step such as one-time passcodes or biometric checks.
• User Role-Based Access: NAC prevents attackers from entering sensitive areas by ensuring they have specific permissions, even if they manage to get access.
• Endpoint Security Checks: NAC scans devices for security vulnerabilities such as outdated software or malware infections before granting access to the network.
• Time & Location Restrictions: NAC opens doors based on geographic location or login time, so even if a credential is stolen, it might be worthless to the attacker.

Thanks to these controls, hackers attempting to take advantage of stolen credentials are blocked before they can cause harm.

SOC Detection of Phishing-Linked Breaches

NAC blocks access attempts, but SOC detects phishing attempts and reused passwords that evade NAC.

SOC constantly monitors your network and searches for abnormal behavior indicating a compromise or attack. Here’s how it works:

• Unusual Login Behavior: SOC monitors for abnormal logins from geolocations, times of day, or devices not previously associated with the account.
• Login Attempts: Multiple failed logins may indicate credential stuffing attacks where hackers try multiple combinations of passwords.
• Lateral Movement Detection: If an attacker gets in with stolen credentials, SOC recognizes odd activity in the network, such as accessing files they normally would not use.
• Analyzing Phishing Emails: SOC tools identify emails containing phishing links so that security teams can alert users before they become victims of scams.
• Incident Response & Mitigation: In the event of an attack, SOC investigates immediately, quarantines compromised accounts, and blocks malicious activity.

Techniques like NAC can prevent unauthorized logins, while SOC can flag any potentially suspicious activity, keeping phishing-based attacks from escalating.

PJ Networks’ Credential Security Products

With Phishing Prevention, NAC for secure logins, and SOC threat detection, our security solutions protect businesses from all possible ways of getting attacked, including credential-based attacks.

Here’s what sets PJ Networks apart:

• Next-generation NAC: Implement next-gen NAC tools that apply stringent access control policies and ensure network access validation for all devices.
• 24/7 Efficient SOC Monitoring: Our SOC teams monitor suspicious activities, conduct investigations on security alerts, and respond to real-time threats.
• Phishing Detection: Our systems detect phishing attempts by analyzing incoming emails and preventing users from seeing malicious links.
• Zero Trust Security Model: We adhere to the Zero Trust principle—every login request and device is verified, regardless of whether it seems legitimate.
• Automated Threat Response: In the event of a detected phishing-based attack, our automated system quickly revokes access, isolates affected systems, and notifies security teams.

Businesses don’t have to worry about attackers using compromised credentials with PJ Networks. We utilize advanced technologies and intelligent threat intelligence to ensure that threats are detected, blocked, and neutralized before they cause any damage.

Conclusion

Stop Attackers from Using Stolen Credentials: Phishing Prevention, NAC for Secured Logins and SOC Threat Detection

Phishing attacks are not going away, and businesses need to fortify security on several levels.

• NAC: Stops users from accessing services, devices, and networks without authorization.
• SOC: Monitors login patterns and responds to phishing-related breaches.
• PJ Networks: Provides strong security solutions to protect organizations from credential-based threats.

By integrating NAC and SOC, organizations can overcome the vulnerabilities posed by phishing attacks threatening networks. Investing in a strong cybersecurity foundation today is an investment in a safer, sound future for businesses, economies, and communities worldwide.