EXPLAINERS

Explainers

Instead of news fragments, each article in this series follows a single topic from start to finish. Scroll-driven diagrams show how an attack unfolds — and where it stops.

How account takeover works
About a 7-minute read
Where email and password pairs stolen in breaches end up, and how automated tools stuff them into other sites' login forms. With diagrams of MFA's weak spots and why passkeys resist them.
October 30, 2026

The dictionary of attack-method tags attached to incidents, and their trends, lives in Attack methods & trends. This series is not a dictionary — each piece is one story to read through. Browse attack methods & trends →

How account takeover works