7 Dec 2022

Crossword Cybersecurity Plc, the cybersecurity solutions company focused on cyber strategy and risk, has announced the integration of Arc, its real-time credential checking service, with one of the industry’s most well-established secure password vaults, Sticky Password.

Arc is a dark web monitoring solution that provides a continuous method of checking if credential pairs, stored by a user in the Sticky Password vault, are an identical match to credentials being distributed on dark markets that trade in stolen data. Since its founding in 2001 by a team of former AVG Technologies executives, Sticky Password has provided secure password management solutions to millions of users.

Stolen credentials

Recent research indicates there are over 24 billion stolen username and password combinations on the Dark Web, a number that has increased by 65% since 2020. Stolen credentials put users and organisations at risk of further cybercrime and fraud.

Arc provides organisations that develop consumer applications with real-time, secure credential leak checks

Developed with support from the UK Government’s Innovate UK grant, Arc provides organisations that develop consumer applications with real-time, secure credential leak checks and credential stuffing protection for their users.

Using cryptographic exchanges between its data stores and third-party applications, Arc compares user login details that are sent or held by an application with Arc’s proprietary internal leak information, without the need to send or receive any of the original credentials.

Reliable credential security

Jon Inns, Product Director for Arc and Trillion, comments: “This integration signals an evolution in reliable credential security. Just checking once for the existence of an account password in a list of millions is an outdated and ineffective security strategy.”

He adds, “The integration of Arc with Sticky Password means that its vaults can continually and securely check for the existence and sharing of the full credential pair, without any private information ever leaving the application. This integration between our technologies creates a truly unique security combination which is so much more effective and powerful.”

Dark web monitoring solution

Peter Lipa, VP of Sticky Password North America, said “We’re delighted to be working with the team at Crossword. Arc is an extremely robust dark web monitoring solution that enables us to provide our users with frequent updates containing detailed information about real security threats.”

He adds, “Together, we’re creating an innovative way of providing users with actionable data that will increase their online security while preserving their privacy.”