Stratech & Passguard partnership: stronger against infostealers

Protecting Confidential Data

Stratech automates knowledge-intensive processes for over 1,800 organizations. The Enschede-based software company handles confidential data every day, including information on debt assistance and logistics shipments. That requires security that goes beyond being technically sound.

“It’s not just about our own data,” says Jeroen van de Pol, Manager ICT at Stratech. “We are responsible for our clients’ data. Because this information is so sensitive, we need to handle it carefully every day.” For Stratech, security is not an extra, but a basic requirement, just like availability.

A Threat That Often Goes Unnoticed

“Many people think of a virus as something visible,” says Tom Leijte, CEO and co-founder of Passguard. “Infostealers work quietly. Data can already be stolen without anyone noticing.”

Unlike traditional malware, infostealers are built to collect and send data without being detected. They remove traces and often stay under the radar.

From Ransomware to Data Theft

Attackers are changing their approach. The focus is shifting from ransomware to extortion using stolen data.

Tom Leijte refers to Odido: “Odido was not targeted with ransomware, but with stolen data from a SaaS platform. In the Snowflake case in 2024, Snowflake itself was not hacked. The ShinyHunters used login details stolen through infostealers to access customer environments. Still, it is often called the Snowflake data breach, while the real issue was stolen access.”

For software companies like Stratech, the impact is clear:

• Sensitive customer data can leak without being noticed

• Accounts can be misused

• Customers often do not know their data has been compromised

Because these attacks do not cause direct disruption, they are often detected late.

The Role of Passguard

To make these threats visible, Stratech works with Passguard. The company, based in Leusden, focuses on dark web monitoring with a specific focus on infostealers.

Passguard detects infected devices on criminal marketplaces and shows what data has been stolen. This allows organizations to take targeted action. Stratech can protect its own environment and act proactively when access to customer portals is compromised.

“The difference is visibility,” says Tom Leijte. “Not just suspecting something is wrong, but knowing which device is infected and what access is stolen. That allows you to act quickly.”

Jeroen van de Pol adds:
“Before, we could only act within our own environment. With Passguard, we also see what happens outside our control. That helps us detect stolen access faster and respond quicker, sometimes before customer data is actually misused.”

Awareness Alone Is Not Enough

A key issue is that infostealers are still not widely recognized. They get little attention in media reports. Behavior also plays a role. Employees often know what is right, but do not always act on it.

“You can compare it to skid training,” says Jeroen van de Pol. “Knowing what to do is different from doing it right when it matters. Technology and policies are only part of the solution. Fast response is critical. That response depends on the situation. You handle an internal case differently from an external detection. Customer procedures and the customer’s CISO can be involved. My view is simple: disable a compromised account immediately. That gives you room to take further action.”

Strengthening ISO 27001 Compliance

With Passguard, Stratech improves its threat analysis. The company gains faster and clearer insight into which accounts and endpoints appear on the dark web and what data is involved.

“That makes risk management more direct and effective,” says Jeroen van de Pol. It also supports Stratech in ISO 27001, specifically around information and analysis of threats.

Tom Leijte concludes: “With the rise of infostealers, monitoring stolen access is becoming basic hygiene. If you take cybersecurity seriously, you cannot ignore it.”