In the sophisticated world of financial services, trust is more than a buzzword — it’s the foundation of everything we do. Our clients don’t merely hand over assets. They entrust us with their life’s work, their most intimate financial details and the future of their legacies. Within this intricate web of responsibilities, estate services stand out as a particularly sensitive domain. The nature of our work demands confidentiality. A breach here doesn’t just threaten dollars and cents — it undermines reputation, shatters client relationships and inflicts long-term damage that can’t easily be repaired.
Recently, major media outlets reported what is believed to be the largest cache of stolen usernames and passwords ever published. These credentials weren’t harvested from obscure systems. They came from everyday services: social media, email providers, Apple accounts and yes, even online estate platforms. The threat behind this alarming trend is becoming more advanced and more common. And it’s not the type of cyberattack that raises red flags through clunky pop-ups or sluggish system performance. It’s invisible, highly effective and shockingly cheap.
It’s called an infostealer.
The rise of the infostealer
Gone are the days of obvious malware. Infostealers are modern, discreet and disturbingly effective tools that automate the theft of sensitive information, particularly the credentials stored in our browsers. These malicious tools infiltrate a user’s system silently, often through phishing emails, compromised websites or seemingly harmless downloads. Once inside, they immediately begin combing through browser data, extracting logins, session tokens and even crypto wallet credentials.
To understand the scale of the threat, imagine the digital vault where your clients’ estate planning documents reside. Now consider the keys to that vault: usernames, passwords, session cookies — all quietly sitting in browser memory. Infostealers are built to take those keys without a trace. That’s the truly unsettling part: their simplicity is what makes them so dangerous.
The average user, and often even tech-savvy professionals, rely on browser-saved passwords for convenience. But these passwords are vulnerable. Infostealers can often bypass or decrypt native encryption and transmit the stolen credentials in plain text. Even users who avoid saving passwords are at risk. If a browser holds an active session — meaning you’re already logged in — an infostealer can extract the session token and hijack your account without ever needing the password. Autofill data, such as addresses and credit card numbers, is also at risk. And for those dealing in digital assets, these tools are now sophisticated enough to locate and extract private keys and seed phrases directly from browser-based cryptocurrency wallets.
All of this means that one compromised computer, or even one infected browser, can become a gateway to your entire digital infrastructure. Estate planners, client portals, and internal systems all become vulnerable through a single breach.
What financial institutions must do now
The stealthy nature of infostealers means traditional security measures are often inadequate. These programs are designed to operate in silence, avoiding detection by not disrupting performance. As a result, cybersecurity in the estate management space must evolve, not reactively, but proactively.
First, organizations must implement robust endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools. These systems continuously monitor endpoint behavior, looking for suspicious activity such as unauthorized data exfiltration or unusual application behavior. EDR often serves as the frontline defense against infostealers.
Next, security information and event management (SIEM) systems must be leveraged to detect anomalies. These tools analyze system logs and network activity to flag red flags, such as a user logging in from two countries within minutes, or an unexpected surge in data leaving the system. SIEM systems help connect the dots that might otherwise be missed.
Threat intelligence also plays a key role. By regularly monitoring feeds that report on new malware strains and indicators of compromise (IOCs), organizations can spot patterns and respond to threats before they escalate.
Beyond detection, the authentication model itself needs a serious upgrade. Too often, single sign-on (SSO) is treated as a convenience feature. In reality, it’s one of the most powerful tools we have for reducing credential exposure. When properly implemented, SSO ensures users only log in once with a secure, centrally managed identity. This significantly shrinks the number of times a password is entered — and, by extension, the number of times it could be stolen. SSO also enables centralized monitoring and control. If a threat is detected, access can be revoked instantly across all integrated systems. When paired with strong access policies, SSO becomes a force multiplier for cybersecurity.
Equally important is the evolution of identity and access management (IAM) systems. Today, identity solutions must go beyond just verifying who someone is — they must continuously assess the context of that access. That means checking device health, location and behavior to determine whether access should be granted or flagged. Behavioral analytics powered by AI can detect subtle shifts in user activity that may signal a compromise. These systems can even respond automatically, prompting re-authentication or locking down access when something seems suspicious. Additionally, the principle of “just-in-time” and “just-enough” access should be the norm, granting the least privilege necessary, only when it’s needed.
What clients can do to protect themselves
The rise of infostealers isn’t just a problem for institutions. Clients must also take responsibility for their own digital security, especially when dealing with estate planning tools and platforms.
The single most important step clients can take is enabling multifactor authentication (MFA) across all accounts. Even if a password is stolen, MFA often renders it useless. Authenticator apps and hardware tokens are far more secure than SMS-based codes, which remain vulnerable to SIM-swapping attacks.
Clients should also be wary of using public or shared computers for sensitive activities. Hotel business centers, libraries and public kiosks are high-risk environments where infostealers may already be installed. Always use trusted, personal devices with updated antivirus protection. Awareness is essential. Seemingly minor symptoms (like a new browser toolbar, strange pop-ups or sluggish performance) should be reported immediately. These could be the only clues to a much deeper problem.
A call to vigilance
In a digital landscape where threats evolve faster than most defenses, estate services must lead the charge in adopting intelligent, aggressive and forward-thinking security practices. The stakes are simply too high. Our work touches on the most private corners of people’s lives — their wealth, their wishes, their legacy. If we aren’t doing everything in our power to protect that, then we’re not doing our job.
From enforcing advanced authentication protocols and deploying modern identity solutions to educating clients and maintaining constant vigilance, our security posture must reflect the level of trust our clients place in us.
Infostealers are already here. But with the right mindset, the right tools and an unwavering commitment to cybersecurity, we can ensure they stop at the gates — and go no further.
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