The Silent Thief: How to Defend Against the Infostealer Surge in 2024–2025

Info-stealer malware is no longer a minor nuisance—it’s become one of the most dominant threats shaping the cybersecurity landscape in 2024 and beyond. Designed to silently infiltrate devices and extract sensitive information, these stealthy programs are now cornerstones of modern cybercrime, weaponized by attackers at scale through phishing emails, search engine bait, and malware-as-a-service kits.

According to industry data, nearly one in four cyber incidents in 2024 involved an infostealer—and the trend is accelerating as attackers exploit remote work, BYOD devices, and weak endpoint defenses.

The challenge with infostealers? You won’t see them coming—until your credentials, tokens, and data are already gone.

Let’s dive into how these threats work, why they’re growing, and what your organization can do right now to fight back.

Rising Impact of Infostealers: A 2024–2025 Threat Snapshot

The numbers are clear: info-stealers are outpacing other attack types in both volume and damage potential.

• 24% of all cyber incidents in 2024 involved infostealer malware.
• Over 2.1 billion credentials were stolen, marking a 33% increase year-over-year.
• Campaign volume grew by 58% YoY, highlighting the threat’s scalability.
• 70% of infections originated from personal devices, not corporate endpoints—exposing the gaps in BYOD policies.

These threats are becoming more efficient, stealthier, and harder to detect through traditional antivirus or firewall tools. Attackers are leveraging them not just for credential theft—but to gain persistent access to cloud systems, financial apps, and internal dashboards.

How Infostealers Actually Work

Info-stealers rely on a range of data-harvesting techniques to silently extract valuable information—often without leaving noticeable traces.

Here’s how they operate:

• Keylogging: Records everything typed, including usernames, passwords, and notes.
• Clipboard Hijacking: Monitors the clipboard to grab copied passwords or crypto wallet addresses.
• Form Grabbing: Captures data entered into login, banking, and payment forms before it's encrypted.
• Screen Capturing: Takes silent screenshots of user dashboards, files, or financial tools.
• Browser Session Hijacking: Steals cookies and tokens to impersonate users without needing passwords.

Once inside, these tools don’t need to exfiltrate large files—they siphon credentials, tokens, and behavioral patterns, giving attackers long-term access without triggering alarms.

7 Practical Ways to Defend Against Infostealers

Stopping infostealers doesn’t require a cybersecurity overhaul—it requires the right controls, discipline, and visibility. Below are 7 expert-backed defense strategies to start implementing today.

1. Use Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Isolate user activity from internal systems. Platforms like Citrix and VMware allow users to work in controlled environments where malware cannot escape the virtual sandbox.

2. Deploy Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

Traditional antivirus isn’t enough. EDR systems provide real-time monitoring, anomaly detection, and automated containment of threats before they spread.

3. Enforce Strong Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Even if passwords are stolen, MFA offers a second line of defense. But beware: some advanced info-stealers now capture session tokens, making phishing-resistant MFA essential.

4. Shorten Token Lifespans

Reduce the validity window for login tokens. This limits how long an attacker can leverage a stolen token before it expires.

5. Be Search-Aware

Avoid clicking on tools with "free", "crack", or "PDF" in their file names—SEO poisoning is a common tactic to lure users into malware downloads.

6. Filter Email Aggressively

Use advanced email filters to block phishing links and attachments—the primary delivery vector for most info-stealers.

7. Use Secure Browsers

Choose browsers with built-in sandboxing or enhanced isolation features. They help contain malicious scripts before they can access system-level functions.

Why This Threat Can’t Be Ignored

The average data breach cost rose to $4.88 million in 2024, and infostealers are a big reason why.

Unlike ransomware, which makes its presence known, infostealers silently exfiltrate your most sensitive data over time. This makes them especially dangerous in remote work environments, where personal devices often bypass corporate controls.

Without a strong infostealer defense strategy, organizations risk:

• Long-term credential exposure
• Cloud platform takeover via token theft
• Internal system compromise via lateral movement
• Financial fraud or data resale on dark web marketplaces

Final Thoughts: Don’t Wait for a Breach to Act

Infostealers are fast, quiet, and devastating—and they’re here to stay. The good news? Most attacks can be prevented with proactive hygiene and smart tooling.

It’s time to stop thinking of infostealers as a niche problem and start treating them as a top-tier threat.

Audit your endpoints. Strengthen your MFA. Educate your users. And above all—prioritize visibility and real-time response.

Stay Protected with Peris.ai Cybersecurity

At Peris.ai, we help businesses tackle emerging threats like infostealers with layered defense strategies, intelligent detection, and endpoint-to-cloud visibility. Whether you’re dealing with BYOD security challenges, token management, or remote workforce protection—we’ve got your back.

👉 Visit peris.ai to explore infostealer defense solutions, expert insights, and tailored protection.