Pair and security, as a whole, is so high that one of the keys to your online account is a security question: how can I find my old password? The FBI has warned of a number of cybercrime types that attackers can use to gain unauthorized access to a website without just stealing or cracking the password. Phishing, social engineering, browser cookies or active login sessions all are examples.
A threat highlighted by the FBI is stolen browser cookies. A cookie is just one piece of information stored by a website in a browser that can help maintain a user’s login session and even retain some preferences. In October 2024, the FBI’s Atlanta Division said cybercriminals were stealing “Remember-Me” cookies from victims’ computers to gain access to email accounts. Even with a criminal with a cookie, they may not have access to that account without the username, password or even the multifactor authentication code.
So a strong password is not enough to think about account security as a one-step process. Cybercriminals could instead try to hack the device, trick users into visiting malicious websites or get information associated with an already authenticated session. Information-stealing malware can also have usernames and passwords and cookies that can be used to compromise other accounts, the FBI warned.
Phishing is still one of the most common ways to take over your account. Insiders can create websites that look like real banking, social media, email, etc. and then recruit victims to sign up for that login on these fake sites and hand over that information to hackers. Even sophisticated phishing campaigns can use search engine ads and website design to create fake websites that look legitimate, the FBI warns.
Social engineering can make these attacks more convincing. Instead of banking on technical weaknesses for all of this, criminals may impersonate customer support representatives, financial institution employees or other trusted persons. They may then make the victim feel as if suspicious activity has taken place on their account and ask for sensitive information or authentication codes. The FBI specifically warns people not to share passwords or one-time authentication codes with callers or messages from legitimate organizations.
Multifactor authentication is still an important protection, but users need to know that it is not a cause of careless activity. The FBI advises to use MFA on accounts whenever it is available and never disable it. Phishing and social-engineering schemes can try to convince users to disclose their MFA codes, the agency says.
There are a few easy steps people can take to avoid account takeover. A different, strong password and/or passphrase for every account can help to prevent a lot of the damage if one credential is compromised. The FBI also suggests good password managers and, if available, passkeys as a substitute for the current password managers. Keeping phones, computers and applications updated is another important step because software updates can address security weaknesses.
Users are also wary of unexpected links, attachments and account alerts. Rather than click a login or password-reset link received through a private email or message, we can just go to the official website of the organization and follow the process of your chosen website or use a trusted app. People should carefully look through suspicious correspondence and verify their requests independently, the FBI states.
Monitoring account activities can be another early warning. Unexpected login notifications, changes of device, new devices or changes in recovery information or unusual account activity should not be ignored. The FBI has recommended periodically checking recent device and login histories regularly for important accounts.
The more important lesson from the FBI's warnings is that cybersecurity is about protecting the entire account ecosystem rather than just a complicated password. Devices, browsers, authentication methods, recovery options and user behaviour can all contribute to securing an account. As cybercriminals continue to fuse technical techniques and more convincing social-engineering techniques, staying alert is as important as having strong credentials.
If you believe your account has been compromised, you need to act at once. Changing affected credentials, checking account activity, contacting the service provider and reporting suspected cybercrime can reduce the damage. The FBI refers victims of Internet crime to its Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for reporting and additional information.
In the end, a strong password is central to online security, but it is only one layer. The FBI’s warnings illustrate why users need to protect their devices, look out for suspicious links, use multifactor authentication, monitor account activity and be wary when someone asks for login or security information. In an increasingly connected world, protecting the digital session behind a password can be just as important as protecting the password itself.
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