🚨
Account Takeover (ATO)
Threats
Unauthorized control over a user account.
Definition
ATO is unauthorized access and control of an account, often via compromised credentials, session tokens, social engineering, or recovery-channel abuse.
In plain English
Unauthorized control over a user account.
Why this matters
Why it matters: It enables direct access to private data and can facilitate fraud, data exfiltration, and further compromise.
Example
Example: Credential stuffing leads to successful login followed by changing MFA settings.