Unlock the Secrets Of the Cyber Security Kill Chain
By Tom Seest
What Is the Cyber Security Kill Chain?
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The cyber security kill chain is a model widely used by organizations to monitor and prevent intrusions at each stage. Derived from military doctrine, it has been modernized for use with today’s cyber security strategy.
As threats have evolved, critics of the kill chain framework are questioning its efficacy. These criticisms include worries over perimeter security and attack vulnerabilities.
What Is the Cyber Security Kill Chain?
Table Of Contents
What Does Reconnaissance Mean for Cyber Security?
Recon is the initial stage of an attack, a pre-attack gathering of information to enable threat actors to better plan and execute their payload. This data could include social media accounts, firewalls, and network security systems – or it could simply be collected as part of a wider data breach.
At this stage, attackers attempt to gain access to sensitive network or host information before attempting to compromise them. This could be as straightforward as phishing or more intricate and expensive techniques like hacking into the network through an unpatched vulnerability in a system.
Reconnaissance is an essential step in protecting against cyber attacks as it helps security teams identify and fix potential flaws. Furthermore, reconnaissance provides a framework for comprehending the various stages of an attack.
Reconnaissance in the military refers to a process by which scouts observe and collect information about an enemy’s position. They do this using various techniques such as short-range observation and surveillance, direct fire, and indirect fire.
However, this approach can be risky and costly, as scouts may not have time to assess the situation before enemy contact occurs.
Scouts must employ methods that enable them to move quickly while still maintaining high-security levels. This can be accomplished through tactics like a squad-sized reconnaissance patrol that utilizes cover and concealment in order to avoid enemy detection.
Scouts must also have an unobstructed view of their target. This can be achieved either with a specially equipped vehicle or by standing still and observing from below.
In the cybersecurity space, it’s essential to note that while many organizations have implemented a cyber kill chain model, some critics believe it isn’t enough to protect against today’s advanced cyber threats. This is because modern technologies such as cloud computing, DevOps, the Internet of Things (IoT), and machine learning have drastically enlarged the attack surface.
That is why it’s essential that an SIEM has reliable data sources that allow for early detection of recon activity during an attack. Doing this allows you to gain insight into the stages of an attack and implement strategies or technologies that will prevent or intercept attacks before they progress further along.
What Does Reconnaissance Mean for Cyber Security?
Exploitation: How Can We Stop It?
The cyber security kill chain is a comprehensive framework designed by Lockheed Martin in 2011 to better comprehend cyberattacks and help security teams identify, detect, and stop them in the future. Derived from an existing military model, this cyber kill chain outlines several common stages in attacks as well as points at which IT teams can prevent, detect, or intercept them.
The initial step of any cyberkill chain is reconnaissance, which involves gathering information about a target (such as their location, financial status, and reputation) before engaging in penetration testing. It’s essential for any cyberattack because it allows security teams to decide whether it’s worthwhile attempting to penetrate into the target.
After a successful penetration test, the next stage in the cyberkill chain is exploitation. This involves delivering malware or other types of attacks onto the victim’s system. Attackers usually employ remote access trojans (RATs) to gain control over targeted computers so they can “exploit vulnerabilities, install malicious code, or re-enter with high-level privileges,” Yadav states.
Many cyberattacks also involve lateral movement, in which the threat actor attempts to traverse through the network and create more points of entry for future attacks. They may also attempt to obscure their activity or exfiltrate data from within the system.
Finally, in monetization, attackers seek to profit from their activity by selling personal or trade information on the dark web or running ransomware campaigns. Although this approach deviates from the traditional cyber kill chain model, it remains essential to protect your business against such threats.
Although there are various models of the cyber kill chain, they all follow a consistent set of steps. Some follow a timeline model like ATT&CK; others have more complexities, such as MITRE Ingenuity’s TTP model.
Exploitation: How Can We Stop It?
Can Command and Control Help Stop the Cyber Security Kill Chain?
The cyber security kill chain is a framework designed to assist cybersecurity teams in understanding how attackers will attempt to breach their systems. It outlines the steps an attacker takes in order to cause harm and allows security personnel to implement strong controls and countermeasures that can successfully prevent these attacks from taking place.
Cyber threats are always evolving, and a layered approach to security can help reduce risk. Unfortunately, some organizations still become targets of cyberattacks even with the best security strategies in place.
Therefore, security teams must remain abreast of the latest threats and implement defense tactics that will prevent a breach from taking place in the first place. One essential method for doing so is having a layered cybersecurity strategy that incorporates administrative, technical, and physical safeguards.
Cybersecurity is one of the most pressing concerns of companies today. Estimates indicate that 68% of business leaders consider cybersecurity risks a major challenge, and many are taking proactive steps to minimize those threats.
This approach, which uses behavioral profiles and advanced monitoring and detection, can help detect unusual events in user behavior, subnets, computers, and applications. This enables security teams to identify threats without malware or payloads – such as insider threats and intrusions with remote access.
Command and control are essential tools for cybersecurity professionals to use in preventing cyberattacks. They can be employed to resolve incidents ranging from small community events to major criminal investigations.
Once a hacker successfully breaches an organization’s systems, they may attempt to take financial advantage by monetizing the data they’ve acquired. This could include demanding ransom from the victim or selling it off to a third party for profit.
In addition to financial damage, an attacker can also use data to target and attack employees of their targets. This may be done through various tactics such as phishing, ransomware, social engineering, and targeted exploits.
The cyber kill chain is an invaluable framework that can be utilized to thwart cybersecurity attacks and lessen the effects of breaches. It provides security teams with tools to establish strong, efficient control measures that safeguard their organization’s data, assets, and reputation.
Can Command and Control Help Stop the Cyber Security Kill Chain?
Can Exfiltration Stop the Cyber Security Kill Chain?
At this stage of the cyber kill chain, attackers employ various methods to move laterally across a network and identify more potential entry points. They frequently do this using malware or other forms of hacking they discovered during reconnaissance and exploitation stages as well as security vulnerabilities.
Exfiltration is a common means by which data can be stolen from an organization. This could take place through various methods, such as downloading information to an insecure device, uploading it onto cloud services or unsecured servers, installing unauthorized software, and sharing data via email or social media channels.
The most efficient way to guard against data exfiltration is prevention. Continuous security validation can help with this by recognizing threats at each step in the cyber kill chain and taking proactive measures before they have a chance to cause significant harm to an organization.
Unfortunately, cybercriminals are still employing these techniques, and they’ve become more sophisticated. They use this strategy to steal and expose data from organizations that lack adequate protection systems, such as healthcare providers or financial institutions.
Therefore, businesses must implement robust data protection policies and monitor employee activity. Furthermore, companies need to employ tools that can notify them of suspicious activities so that action can be taken before any sensitive data is lost.
One of the most prevalent types of malware is designed to penetrate corporate networks and search for sensitive data. This can be accomplished through simple phishing attacks or more sophisticated tactics, such as injecting a Trojan Virus onto an organization’s servers.
Once inside an organization’s security systems, these strands of malware can collect and store a considerable amount of sensitive data before detection by security systems. Therefore, it’s vital to identify them quickly; the longer an attack goes undetected, the more information is at risk, putting businesses and individuals at serious risk.
Can Exfiltration Stop the Cyber Security Kill Chain?
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