Why Attackers no Longer Need to Break in: The Rise of Identity-Based Attacks 

The report argues that identity compromise—stolen credentials, unmanaged machine/service accounts, and phone-based social engineering—is now the primary attack vector, illustrated by dark‑web credential sales, RDP and spear-phishing activity, and large data exposures (e.g., TransUnion). It warns that conventional perimeter and malware-focused defenses miss these intrusions and recommends inventorying identities, tightening and reviewing access, monitoring anomalous account behavior, adopting stronger authentication (hardware keys/passkeys), and operating with an assume‑breach mindset.