Top Techniques Attackers Use to Infiltrate Your Systems Today

Why It Matters

These trends show that traditional patching is insufficient; attackers exploit human and identity weaknesses, forcing organizations to adopt zero‑trust, MFA‑resistant and layered defenses to protect hybrid and cloud environments.

Key Takeaways

• Phishing, stolen credentials, and social engineering account for 71% of attacks.
• Abuse of legitimate RMM tools caused 30% of incidents.
• SSL VPN flaws represent 33% of network device compromises.
• ClickFix lures bypass email filters, delivering PowerShell payloads.
• Identity token theft and AiTM attacks undermine MFA protections.

Pulse Analysis

Identity‑centric attacks have eclipsed pure software exploits as the primary breach vector. According to Sophos and ReliaQuest, phishing, credential theft and social engineering now account for more than two‑thirds of initial compromises, underscoring the human link in the attack chain. The rise of hybrid work, SaaS proliferation, and AI‑driven social engineering amplifies this risk, as threat actors weaponize trusted identities to bypass patches and traditional perimeter defenses.

Beyond credential abuse, attackers are weaponizing legitimate tools and infrastructure. Remote monitoring and management (RMM) platforms such as ConnectWise ScreenConnect are being trojanized, contributing to roughly 30% of incidents reported by Blackpoint. Network edge devices, especially SSL VPN gateways, remain soft spots, with a third of device‑related breaches traced to outdated firmware. The ClickFix technique sidesteps email filters by embedding malicious PowerShell commands in fake “fix” prompts, while supply‑chain worms like Shai‑Hulud 2.0 demonstrate how automated code propagation can infiltrate development pipelines at scale.

Defenders must pivot to layered, identity‑focused security models. Deploying phishing‑resistant authentication—hardware security keys, FIDO2, or certificate‑based methods—reduces reliance on passwords and mitigates token‑theft attacks. Zero‑trust architectures, continuous risk scoring, and strict least‑privilege policies limit lateral movement once an identity is compromised. Centralized SaaS audit logging, RMM allow‑lists, and targeted ClickFix user training further harden the environment against the evolving threat landscape.