What does "credential stuffing" refer to in cybersecurity?

Credential stuffing is a type of cyber attack where malicious actors use stolen usernames and passwords from one data breach to attempt to gain unauthorized access to accounts on different online services. This tactic leverages the fact that many users reuse the same credentials across multiple sites. Once attackers acquire these credentials, they automate the login attempts to infiltrate accounts at various organizations.

This method is particularly effective because, if users do not employ unique passwords for different accounts, a breach in one service can lead to compromises across numerous services. Credential stuffing highlights the importance of using strong, unique passwords for each login, as well as enabling additional security measures like multi-factor authentication.

The other options refer to different cybersecurity issues. Phishing involves deceptive attempts to obtain sensitive information, encrypting sensitive data is related to protecting information rather than accessing it, and creating fake credentials involves falsification but does not specifically pertain to the misuse of stolen credentials to gain access to existing accounts.