How can you protect against advanced persistent threats?

I usually send out LinkedIn spam to see if anyone has ideas for identifying advanced persistent threats. The results have been fantastic.

In addition, to protect against advanced persistent threats (APTs): 1. Implement a layered security strategy. 2. Educate employees about cybersecurity. 3. Keep systems and software up to date. 4. Monitor network traffic and system activity for suspicious activity. 5. Have a plan in place for responding to an APT attack. In short, be proactive, be vigilant, and be prepared.

We find out that organizations who implement a management system based on ISO/IEC 27001 are less vulnerable. There are lot’s of controls from the ANNEX A which can guide companies to establish preventive, detective and corrective control’s that improve security on the CIA.

To protect against APT attacks, we can implement several measures: 1. Strong Perimeter Defense: Deploying robust firewalls (intrusion detection systems) can help prevent unauthorized access to the network and reduce the risk of a successful APT attack. 2. Employee Education: Conducting regular cybersecurity awareness can help reduce the likelihood of employees falling victim to these attacks. 3. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): This can help prevent unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data. 4. Patch Management: can help reduce the risk of successful attacks. 5. Network Segmentation: This can help contain the impact of an attack and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the network.

----CONTD----- 6. Endpoint Protection: This can help reduce the risk of successful attacks. 7. Data Encryption: Encrypting sensitive data at rest and in transit can help protect it from unauthorized access. 8. Continuous Monitoring: Implementing robust security monitoring tools and processes can help detect and respond to suspicious activities in real time. 9. Incident Response Plan: Develop an incident response plan that outlines the steps to be taken in case of an APT attack. 10. Regular Audits and Assessments: Conducting regular security audits and assessments can help identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses.

APTs present a complex challenge in network security. Reconnaissance is akin to mapping a maze, spotting vulnerabilities and weak links. The initial compromise is the entrance, often exploiting human elements. Lateral movement is navigating the maze, reaching deeper corners. Data collection is gathering the treasure, and exfiltration is the escape, ensuring the loot safely reaches the attacker's lair. The cover-up is erasing footprints, ensuring the maze remains unsolved for defenders. As an engineer, visualizing APTs this way aids in crafting robust defenses against these threats.

Reconnaissance shall be conducted by threat actor and its always beyond security controls capacity. Initial compromise shall be with a minor alert of one phishing email delivery or exploit on any unpatched vulnerability of software. Establishment of Foothold shall be installing backdoors to maintain persistence with compromised system or network. Lateral movement shall be initiated by mapping and exploring environment to identify valuable assets and resources. Privilege Escalation & Credential Theft to seek broader access to sensitive information or data. Data collection & Exfiltration one of primary aim of threat actor post exfiltration APT actor shall try to incident response evasion. Threat actor ma had secondary objective.

One thing I have found to be helpful is that asides implementing solutions that can monitor the attack kill chain, it’s also important to have an efficient security operation team to actively monitor security events and detect attack continuum in real time

Countering APTs is not a strategic approach. The need is to assure delivery of capability through system control - not security controls. The need is to maximize the certainty within the system and minimize uncertainty - especially with behaviors and capability delivery. This uses strong mediated access control - every access mediated from every entity to every resource (a concept well predating "zero trust"), comprehensive situational awareness, and the ability to respond to what is detected. Avoiding the need to respond and minimizing what can't be avoided is also critical. The security design order of precedence used to create inherently secure systems goes a long way to achieving this. Apply NIST SP 800-160 Vol 1 Rev 1

Defending against persistent threats demands a layered approach. Imagine it like securing a fort: 1.MFA: Extra gates for authentication. 2.Behavioral Analytics: Guards recognizing unusual patterns. 3.Regular Updates: Fortifying walls to patch vulnerabilities. 4.Employee Training: Teaching guards to spot suspicious activity. 5.Incident Response Plan: Prepared guards responding swiftly. By integrating these strategies, we create a robust defense, making breaching our fort incredibly challenging. Stay vigilant!

Best way to build a foundation of alerts to self automated responses us with this simple list: 1. SIEM with custom alerts for BR with feeds and into SOAR 2. (IDS) (IPS): A good firewall that has layer 7 security support 3. NTA tools with a custom build for baseline activity 4. EDR/XDR 5. Good resources for bulletin boards for IOCS 6. GOOD XDR for behaviour analysis 7. Sink holes and honey pots 8. Email Security Gateways/DLP all in one 9. SOAR - automated response with good EDR/XDR

Human Element is one of the weakest link on Cyber Security chain. hence awareness on controls including training and periodic evaluation of training effectiveness shall give great contribution to established security controls and posture.

Company’s need to take a multi-level approach to overall security, especially when it comes to APTs. Real-Time detection by leveraging the real-time traffic and analyzing against data trends based on specific parameters, timing, etc. to build knowledge and then address issues found with extremely high accuracy. The most basic is to address Network level security with latest technology, rules and policies. Beefing up ones Data analysis capabilities where you leverage the data you already have to identify trends in the data and answering questions, leveraging an AI/ML solution and reach a point of predicting issues. From there you can add more to it and have breakouts of key areas like certifications (ISO 27K1, SOC 2 type 2 or many others.)

When discussing security we often forget to state that the people with high security talents are required. Their knowledge, skill and hands-on experience are a key pillar to any successful security protection and detection. They drive the security throughout the company. Their ideas, creativity and overall collaboration often bring out the best across a company.

As we move forward in 2023, over 70% of SSL traffic is encrypted. SSL certificate pairing plays a crucial role in authenticating SSL through serial number of certificate in apps, ensuring protection against man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. With the rising trend of remote work, there's an evident shift in security focus from network firewalls to endpoints. Now, more than ever, investments should prioritize endpoint security. By leveraging cloud processing for the vast amounts of data shared by endpoints, we are better equipped to counteract advanced persistent threats (APTs). Embracing this strategy ensures a more robust and adaptive defense in our ever-evolving digital landscape.