Credentials Lost the Top Spot. They Didn't Lose Their Teeth
Security Boulevard, Wednesday, June 24th, 2026
Vulnerability exploitation overtook credential abuse as the top breach vector, but stolen credentials remain a threat.
For the first time in the Verizon DBIR's nineteen-year history, exploitation of vulnerabilities overtook credential abuse as the leading initial-access vector.
Exploitation jumped to 31% of breaches, a 55% year-over-year surge, while credential abuse fell to 13%.
The article argues credential compromise did not retire, it merely slipped down the rankings.
A lower rank still leaves millions of organizations one weak login away from disaster.
It was written by Jack Poller, founder and principal analyst of Paradigm Technica.