Service Desk Exploited as Attack Vector by Social Engineering
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Threat actors are increasingly targeting service desks to gain unauthorized access to enterprise systems. Social engineering tactics, often employed by groups like Scattered Spider, exploit help desk agents to reset passwords and gain full domain access. Recent incidents, such as those at MGM Resorts and Clorox, highlight the significant impact of successful social engineering attacks. The primary defense against these attacks is to shift user verification from agent discretion to a formal, security-owned workflow. This approach reduces the burden on agents and ensures consistent, logged, and enforced verification processes.
Timeline
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02.10.2025 17:00 1 articles · 1h ago
Service Desk Exploited as Attack Vector by Social Engineering
Threat actors are increasingly targeting service desks to gain unauthorized access to enterprise systems. Social engineering tactics, often employed by groups like Scattered Spider, exploit help desk agents to reset passwords and gain full domain access. Recent incidents, such as those at MGM Resorts and Clorox, highlight the significant impact of successful social engineering attacks. The primary defense against these attacks is to shift user verification from agent discretion to a formal, security-owned workflow. This approach reduces the burden on agents and ensures consistent, logged, and enforced verification processes.
Show sources
- Your Service Desk is the New Attack Vector—Here's How to Defend It. — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 02.10.2025 17:00
Information Snippets
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Service desks are a primary target for social engineering attacks.
First reported: 02.10.2025 17:001 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Your Service Desk is the New Attack Vector—Here's How to Defend It. — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 02.10.2025 17:00
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Successful social engineering attacks can result in full domain access and significant business disruption.
First reported: 02.10.2025 17:001 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Your Service Desk is the New Attack Vector—Here's How to Defend It. — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 02.10.2025 17:00
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Agent training alone is insufficient to prevent social engineering attacks.
First reported: 02.10.2025 17:001 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Your Service Desk is the New Attack Vector—Here's How to Defend It. — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 02.10.2025 17:00
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A formal, security-owned workflow for user verification can mitigate the risk of social engineering attacks.
First reported: 02.10.2025 17:001 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Your Service Desk is the New Attack Vector—Here's How to Defend It. — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 02.10.2025 17:00
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Role-based and points-based verification methods can be integrated into existing ITSM tools.
First reported: 02.10.2025 17:001 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Your Service Desk is the New Attack Vector—Here's How to Defend It. — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 02.10.2025 17:00