Best account takeover prevention tools

In recent years, account takeover fraud has become a severe issue accounting for most fraudulent transactions.  This highlights the critical need for a robust account takeover prevention strategy to mitigate the risks associated with online business operations. However, no strategy can be successful without a robust account takeover prevention tool. 

This blog provides a comprehensive list of the best account takeover tools, which can be very helpful in preventing such attacks. 

What is Account Takeover Fraud?

Account takeover fraud, often referred to as ATO or an ATO attack in industry parlance, occurs when a person lacking the requisite authorization obtains unauthorized access to someone’s online account. This unauthorized access is used to indulge in nefarious activities, such as stealing personal data or conducting fraudulent financial transactions.

Types of Accounts Vulnerable to Account Takeover Fraud 

Several types of accounts are vulnerable to account takeover (ATO) fraud, including:

  • Deposit Accounts
  • Government Benefits Accounts
  • Checking Accounts
  • Online Gaming Accounts
  • Store Loyalty Cards
  • Credit Cards
  • Email Accounts

Procedures to Protect Against Account Takeover Fraud  

Account takeover frauds are complicated. As such, specialized technology must be employed to combat these threats effectively. Here, we have curated a list of a few important technologies that can aid in the prevention of ATO fraud: 

Protection Against ATO Frauds
  • Threat Intelligence and Monitoring: Effective prevention of account takeover (ATO) fraud depends to a significant extent on sophisticated and up-to-date threat intelligence and continuous threat monitoring. Organizations should deploy systems that monitor for likely danger and threats, such as credential seepage on the dark web, distrustful login attempts, and odd and uncommon account activity. 

By using up-to-date threat intelligence feeds and real-time monitoring, organizations can find themselves in a unique position to quickly notice and respond to potential ATO attacks before enjoying any real chance of succeeding.

  • IP Geolocation: IP geolocation techniques can determine and subsequently flag login attempts from out-of-the-way or high-risk locations that do not seem to follow a user’s typical access patterns. Through cross-referencing IP addresses with geographical data, organizations can identify and bar login attempts from threat fixtures or locations that are out of sync with a user’s expected location, potentially signaling an ATO attempt.
  • Device Fingerprinting: Device fingerprinting, as the name suggests, involves the collection and subsequent analysis of various attributes of the devices employed to obtain access to the accounts, such as hardware configurations, software versions, and browser characteristics. This data creates a unique “fingerprint” for each user’s device. Login attempts from devices with significantly different fingerprints can be flagged as potential ATO attempts, indicating a need for more stringent verification or, if required, to cut off the access entirely.
  • Behavioral Biometrics: This approach analyzes user behavior patterns, including keystroke dynamics, mouse movements, and navigation habits, to create only a biometric profile for each individual. Through consistent monitoring of these behaviors during account sessions, organizations can identify any significant change or departure from a user’s typical behavior patterns. 

These changes can signal that someone other than the legitimate user is attempting to access the account, thereby helping to identify an unauthorized party’s account takeover (ATO) attempt. Behavioral biometrics provide an additional layer of security, identifying anomalies likely to be missed by traditional authentication methods.

Top 9 Account Takeover Prevention Tools

It is important to understand that effective account takeover prevention largely depends on the tool you employ.  Here is a carefully curated list of the best account takeover prevention tools: 

Best account takeover tools
  1. Sensfrx 

Sensfrx is a cutting-edge account takeover prevention tool trusted by thousands of users.  It offers real-time insights to block threats at every customer journey touchpoint. It identifies and prevents various attack types, including credential stuffing, brute force, suspicious devices, and post-ATO behavior. 

With a 99% reduction in account takeovers, neutralized fraudulent logins, and seamless authentication, Sensfrx has proven its worth in shielding users from fraudulent activities.

Key features: 

  • Real-time insights to stop account takeovers
  • Fast geolocation and suspicious new device/location detection
  • Identification of one device used by multiple users
  • Detection of access mining bots and post-ATO suspicious user behavior
  • Precision fingerprinting for accurate device identification
  • Spot-on risk scoring based on diverse signals

Pros:

  • High-accuracy fingerprinting
  • Real-time, delay-free analytics 
  • Seamless integration across various platforms
  • Fast decision time (250 ms), implementation time (5 mins), and response time (150 ms)
  • 99% uptime of APIs & services  

Cons:  No free trial 

Pricing:  Custom pricing is available on request.   

  1. Avanan 

Avanan’s account takeover prevention solution identifies and prevents account takeover events in cloud applications. It uses an event analysis algorithm to detect behavior patterns that could indicate a potentially compromised account.  

It provides a comprehensive approach to identifying and preventing account takeovers in cloud applications, leveraging historical data analysis, real-time monitoring, and machine learning capabilities.

Key Features:

  • Captures historical data to detect past account breaches and prevent 
  • Correlates them using machine learning algorithms to identify compromised accounts and filter out false positives
  • Real-time insights
  • Reduces false positives over time

Pros:

  • Real-time prevention, historical breach detection, and adaptive false positive filtering
  • Robust historical analysis 
  • Implement and provide immediate result

Cons: 

Pricing  No price list 

Pricing: Offers competitive pricing 

3.SpyCloud 

SpyCloud ATO Prevention is a next-generation solution that focuses on preventing ATO attacks by addressing both stolen credentials and malware-stolen session cookies. It integrates with existing workflows and directory services, providing seamless protection for busy teams.

Key Features:

  • Collects darknet data, including breached credentials and malware-infected devices
  •  Provides visibility into employees’ managed and unmanaged malware-infected devices 
  • Offers contextual insights
  • Automates ATO prevention efforts
  • Integrates with common directory services and SOARs

Pros:

  • Addresses both stolen credentials and malware-stolen session cookies
  • Integrates with existing workflows and directory services.
  • Provide contextual insights

Cons:

Requires technical expertise to integrate and configure effectively.

Pricing: Not available. The exact pricing depends on the requirements of the organization. 

4.  Okta 

Okta has been designed and developed to prevent identity and credential attacks. It can be segmented into Workforce Identity and Customer Identity services. These are cloud-hosted services that can be easily integrated through APIs. Okta offers a wide range of features, such as  Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication (AMFA), bot detection, ID proofing, passwordless authentication, fraud, and risk management. This provides comprehensive protection against account takeover attempts. 

Key features: 

  • Adaptive multi-factor authentication (AMFA) for contextual risk analysis 
  • Stops automated bots attempting identity-based attacks
  • Verifies user identity before account or password reset
  • Integrates with any third-party authenticator

Pros:

  • Tracks user behavior to detect potential attacks
  • Interfaces with LDAP and provides an API for integration

Cons:

  • Pricing information is not readily available. 

5.  Sift Account Defense 

Sift Account Defense evaluates new account registrations and prevents fraudulent accounts. It thwarts illegitimate account creation while ensuring a seamless experience for genuine users.  

Key Features: 

  • Built-in multi-factor authentication (MFA)
  • Protects from payment card fraud 
  • Predictive analytics to identify suspicious patterns 

Pros:

  • Reduces fraudulent accounts during sales processes
  •  Employs sophisticated techniques to identify fraud and account takeover attempts
  • Continuously updates its blacklist database 

Cons:

  • Only a demo version available rather than a free trial period

6.  ReliaQuest GreyMatter

ReliaQuest GreyMatter digital risk protection conducts a comprehensive assessment of your account management infrastructure. Additionally, it monitors the dark web and other hacker resources to respond swiftly to emerging threats. 

Key Features:

  • Singular visibility across your security tools 
  • Round-the-clock monitoring of all resources, applications, and security tools
  • Field-tested detection content packages 
  • Drive efficiencies across each stage of the security lifecycle

Pros:

  • An attack simulator 
  • Keeps abreast of current ATO strategies
  • Provides an automated intelligence feed

Cons:

  •  Informs other tools to implement remediation 

7.  Radware Bot Manager  

Radware Bot Manager is a popular account takeover prevention tool designed to identify and mitigate various automated takeover attacks.  At the core of this product is Radware’s proprietary Intent-based Deep Behavior Analysis (IDBA) technology.  

Key Features:

  • Categorizes different types of bots effectively and detects malicious bot traffic in real-time
  •  Identifies and blocks DDoS attacks by analyzing packet traffic and AI. 
  • Manages traffic to prevent overloading
  • Offers a reCAPTCHA challenge for suspected bot traffic.

Pros:

  • Effective Bot Detection
  • Easy to install as a plug-in 
  • Customization of security policies to meet specific business needs.

Cons:

  • Requires fine-tuning to prevent excessive reCAPTCHA usage. 

8.  TransUnion TruValidate  

TransUnion TruValidate is a fraud detection solution tailored specifically for eCommerce platforms. This service focuses on protecting customer accounts rather than employee accounts. This offers comprehensive security measures during the account creation process. 

Key Features:

  • Evaluates the user’s device and identity indicators
  • Provides protection for eCommerce Systems
  • Threat Intelligence Feed 

Pros:

  • Robust behavior assessment 
  • User Behavior Analytics 

Cons:

  •  Free trial is not available 

9. Experian 

Experian, a leading credit reference agency, has expanded its offerings to encompass a comprehensive suite of account security services and fraud protection solutions. Through its integrated suite of fraud prevention and account security solutions, Experian allows organizations to maintain a robust defense against various account-related threats, including account takeovers, while prioritizing a smooth and secure customer experience.

Key Features:

  • Fraud Prevention: Helps organizations identify and prevent fraudulent account takeover attempts.
  • Device Intelligence: Analyzes device information to detect suspicious activity and prevent unauthorized access.
  • Knowledge-Based Authentication: Asks users security questions to verify their identity and prevent account takeovers.

Pros:

  • Combines multiple fraud prevention techniques, such as device intelligence and knowledge-based authentication. 
  • Huge data resources 

Cons: 

  • Not suitable for SMEs  

Conclusion 

Protecting user accounts requires a proactive, multi-layered approach to stay ahead of the ever-changing threat landscape. The sad truth is that every company with an online presence is a soft target for these cyber crooks. With the relentless wave of account takeover attacks and billions of stolen credentials floating around, it’s not a question of if your digital assets will be targeted- but when.

Therefore, businesses can’t afford to take this lightly. Attackers are constantly upping their game, so you’ve got to be proactive and have multiple layers of security in place to stay ahead of the ever-changing threats. It’s an ongoing battle, but you can’t afford to lose if you want to keep your users’ accounts safe and your business reputation intact. 

Sensfrx transforms fraud prevention through advanced technology, comprehensive coverage of fraud types, and robust security features.

 Get in touch with Sensfrx today to discover how it can protect your business operations and enhance customer confidence.