Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR): How to detect and stop identity-based attacks

The Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) paradigm emerged to stop what may be one of the most dangerous blind spots in cybersecurity today: identity-based attacks.

The numbers confirm it: credentials appeared as the number-one attack vector for attackers, according to the 2025 Verizon DBIR report. In response, Identity Threat Detection and Response protocols monitor identity activity for anomalous behavior with one objective: to detect and contain threats before they escalate.

This security layer, when added to IAM identity management, directly addresses these dangerous blind spots. Here’s why ITDR is now essential and how to apply it correctly within your organization.

ITDR: the security layer missing from your architecture

Let’s first travel back to a not-so-distant past: not long ago, cybersecurity revolved around protecting the network perimeter. As long as the perimeter was secure, the organization was secure too. Then came the cloud, remote work, and hybrid environments, and that perimeter disappeared. In this new context, identity took over as the new control center, but also as the most exposed point of vulnerability.

This is today’s landscape, and attackers know it: obtaining credentials provides a direct route into systems. In response, Identity Threat Detection and Response protocols address this paradigm shift through specialized tools designed to detect and respond to identity-centered attacks.

The result? Full visibility into identity activity across the entire digital ecosystem, so that any anomalous behavior triggers immediate alerts and automated responses.

Detect, monitor, and respond: the full ITDR cycle

ITDR is built on three pillars that operate as a continuous security cycle:

1. Detect anomalies before they become incidents

Through behavioral analysis, a baseline of normal activity is established. Any significant deviation from this baseline — a login from an unusual location, access to sensitive data outside working hours, a rapid privilege escalation — triggers an alert. This capability is combined with threat intelligence feeds, which allow observed activity to be correlated with known malicious patterns.

2. Real-time visibility over access and movement

ITDR monitoring is continuous and covers the entire IT ecosystem, including on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. Any suspicious movement around authentications, access requests, privilege changes, or directory modifications is recorded, including activity linked to non-human identities.

3. Response capability in minutes, not days

ITDR protocols enable immediate, automated actions. When suspicious movement is detected, these tools can trigger actions such as requiring stronger authentication, blocking compromised accounts, revoking suspicious sessions, or resetting passwords. All of this is key to stopping the progression of a potential breach.

What an Identity Threat Detection and Response tool should offer

• Tools to detect and mitigate threats in hybrid and cloud environments.
• Real-time automated response to incidents.
• AI for behavioral analysis and anomaly detection.
• Full supervision of employees, privileged accounts, third parties, and bots.
• Modular integration with IAM, IGA, PAM, and AM.
• Continuous multicloud visibility through an intuitive interface.
• Agile management of compliance and evidence.

This is exactly what the Soffid ITDR solution offers: visibility, automation, and control integrated into a platform designed to stay one step ahead and stop potential identity-based attacks.

What’s the next step? Contact us, tell us about your environment, and see first-hand how Soffid ITDR performs in your real environment.