Password spraying attacks against enterprise systems reached an all-time high in Q1 2026, with Microsoft Azure AD/Entra ID being the primary target for 67% of attempted breaches.
What Is Password Spraying?
Unlike brute force that tries many passwords against one account, password spraying tries a few common passwords (Password123!, Company2026!) against thousands of accounts simultaneously, avoiding lockout thresholds.
Scale of the Problem
- 5.8 billion spray attempts detected in Q1 2026
- 67% targeted Azure AD/Entra ID
- 22% targeted Google Workspace
- 11% targeted Okta and other IdPs
Defense Strategies
Mandatory MFA blocks 99.9% of password spray attacks. Implement conditional access policies, ban common passwords, and use Azure AD Password Protection. Monitor for impossible travel alerts and unusual sign-in patterns.
Organizations without MFA are 50x more likely to be compromised than those with it enabled.
