New Rules For Identity Attacks and LOLBins

The KeysGuard Night Owl Cyber Intelligence Brief highlights a growing threat landscape where attackers focus more on stealth and identity-based exploitation than traditional malware. Recent trends point to a surge in credential abuse and the misuse of native Windows tools, or LOLBins, to sidestep standard defenses. Healthcare, education, and government organizations face the most risk, especially with reduced holiday staffing and delayed updates. The report notes that attackers are shifting toward cloud persistence and speeding up extortion timelines by working in smaller, more agile groups. To counter these tactics, it recommends moving from signature-based tools to behavioral analytics and strict identity monitoring. Overall, it shows a clear move toward fast, low-trace operations that blend in with normal administrative activity.