From there, cyber-attacks, more knowledgeable in cybersecurity literature and practice as a cyber kill chain or attack lifecycle, also involve several steps. It can be as simple or as complex, using whatever technique, but it generally follows a pattern: reconnaissance, initial compromise, establishment of presence, privilege escalation, lateral movement, target identification, and execution of objectives-that is, data exfiltration, encryption for ransom, or destruction. A simplified view of how malware or hackers might gain access to a server, move within a network to reach a high-value target might be outlined as follows:
1. Reconnaissance
Hackers: They will do preliminary information gathering about the external and internal network structure of the target organization, trying to find a potential entry point. Scanning will be carried out for open ports, services running on servers, or through social engineering means to get credentials or other useful information.
Viruses/Malware: Often distributed randomly via phishing emails, malicious websites, or through the exploitation of known vulnerabilities in public-facing web applications.
2. Initial Compromise
Hackers: Using known vulnerabilities of web applications, credentials stolen via phishing, or insecure configuration to gain initial access to a server or network device.
Viruses/Malware: When opened or executed, the malware installs itself on a server, giving attackers backdoor access.
3. Establish Presence
After attackers have infiltrated an organization's internal network, they will attempt to maintain their level of access by uploading extra tools or malware, which will include rootkits, backdoors, or C2 software to connect with attacker-owned servers.
4. Privilege Escalation
Attacker or malware attempts to achieve higher privileges, often through administrator-level account takeovers or via system vulnerabilities to evade controls. This stage is important for gaining access that will be able to provide the leeway to move around and manipulate systems freely.
5. Lateral Movement
With obtained privileges, the attackers laterally move inside the network to find and then access other systems. This may include stealing credentials, leveraging the trust relationships among the servers, or running the network administration tools in an illegitimate fashion.
6. Target Identification
In or after the lateral movement, the high-value targets are identified by the attackers, which may include databases of sensitive information, key infrastructure servers, or even backup systems. What will constitute a "high value" target is completely at the discretion of the objectives of the attackers.
7. Objective Execution
Ransomware: Encrypt critical files or systems and demand payment for decryption keys.
Data Exfiltration: The theft of sensitive or proprietary information.
Destruction: Deletion of critical data or disabling key infrastructure to disrupt operations.
Prevention and Mitigation
Regular patching: keeping software and systems up-to-date in order to prevent exploitation through known vulnerabilities.
Security Awareness Training: Employees should be made aware of phishing and other social engineering attacks.
Network Segmentation: This brings down the possibility of lateral movement. The segmentation of networks should be done, and the concept of least privilege should be applied.
Monitoring and Detection: Establish SIEM systems, intrusion detection systems, and other monitoring tools that allow the detection of suspicious activities and responses.
Incident Response Plan: An incident response plan should be maintained in the case of security incidents; this needs to be swift and effective.
The protection against such sophisticated attacks can only be ensured through a multilayered security approach comprising technological and human elements in addition to a proactive stance in terms of security posture assessment and improvement.
By David Heath
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