Contain Account Takeovers

Material Security contains the blast radius of an account takeover (ATO) by ensuring that a compromised password—and even a compromised multi-factor authentication (MFA) token—doesn't give an attacker immediate access to the most sensitive data in an employee's mailbox and cloud files. We operate on a simple, pragmatic principle: assume compromise is inevitable and ensure the damage an attacker can do is minimized by default.

Problem: Security solutions for ATOs are reactive, not proactive

An ATO is one of the most damaging security incidents an organization can face. Once an attacker acquires valid user credentials, they are inside your perimeter, cloaked in the legitimacy of a trusted employee. While native platform tools from Microsoft and Google focus heavily on preventing the initial breach, they are often ineffective at limiting the damage after a successful login.

This creates a dangerous gap in security posture:

• MFA is not foolproof: Attackers can and do bypass MFA through sophisticated phishing, token theft, and social engineering techniques like MFA fatigue bombing. Relying on it as your only line of defense post-authentication is a losing battle.
• The attacker's golden hour: There is a critical window between the moment an attacker gains access and when your security team can detect the intrusion and respond. In that time—whether it's minutes or hours—an attacker has free reign to search for sensitive data and launch internal attacks.
• An authenticated session is a blank check: Native security models generally treat an authenticated user as fully trusted. This means a single compromised account grants an attacker immediate access to years of sensitive email history, confidential files in cloud storage, and the ability to impersonate the user to defraud colleagues and partners.
• Detection is always reactive: Security teams are forced to hunt for subtle clues of malicious behavior after the fact, by which time the sensitive data has likely already been found and exfiltrated.

Solution: Step-up authentication protects data 

Material Security changes the calculus of an account takeover. By decoupling account access from sensitive data access, we render the attacker's "golden hour" useless. Even with a valid username, password, and MFA token, the attacker is contained.

• Apply zero-trust principles to the inbox: Material automatically discovers and classifies sensitive data stored in inboxes. Then, we apply a critical layer of protection: requiring a real-time, second-factor authentication challenge to access sensitive items, even for an already-authenticated user.
• Contain the attacker at the source: When an attacker tries to access a sensitive email or file attachment—like a message containing a password reset link or a spreadsheet with financial data—Material steps in and requires MFA. The attacker, unable to pass this challenge, is stopped cold. They are locked in the account but can't open the digital safe.
• Neutralize the primary goal of the attack: The primary goal of most ATOs is to find and exfiltrate sensitive data or credentials. By locking down historical data, Material removes the core incentive for the attack, dramatically reducing your risk profile without disrupting normal user workflows.
• Give security teams time to respond: With Material's containment in place, a compromised account is no longer a five-alarm fire. The security team has the breathing room to detect the anomaly, investigate properly, and remediate the threat without the immense pressure of an active data breach in progress.

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