08/29/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 08/29/2024 12:24
With the cybersecurity landscape changing more than ever, advanced persistent threats (APTs) are proving to be one of most important threats facing organizations.
APTs have changed the world of cybersecurity warfare. As these attacks become more frequent and complex, all sectors are potential targets. From agencies to businesses in the private sector, no one is immune: APTs are constant, behind-the-scenes threats.
This article will explore the key characteristics of APTs, how they operate, and, most importantly, outline essential strategies for prevention and defense.
Short for "advanced persistent threats", APT is a generalized term that refers to the processes and tools used by attackers who are sponsored by or associated with countries, organizations, or groups of individuals.
APTs are not the same as conventional cyber threats, and they distinguish themselves by being persistent in nature and targeted at specific entities or scopes. Generally, APTs are aimed at individual organizations or industries to gain access to sensitive data.
Advanced threat protection (ATP) shouldn't be confused with APTs (advanced persistent threats).
APTs are some of the most sophisticated attacks. They have several characteristics that make them particularly damaging:
APTs are designed to achieve specific strategic goals over an extended period. Attackers are persistent and may remain undetected within a target network for months or years, continuously working toward their objective.
For example, Red Cross reported discovering an attack in January 2022 but believes the incident occurred months earlier in November 2021.
APTs are usually orchestrated by true threat actors: highly skilled individuals or groups with significant financial and technical resources, such as:
Malicious actors employ advanced methods to infiltrate and compromise their targets, like:
They may also use encrypted communication channels and other tactics to avoid detection.
APTs are highly targeted attacks aimed at specific organizations, industries, or governments with valuable information or assets. Attackers carefully select their targets based on the potential strategic value.
A key characteristic of APTs is their focus on remaining undetected within the target's network. Attackers employ various tactics to maintain a low profile, such as
APT attacks typically involve multiple stages - such as reconnaissance, exploitation, establishing a foothold, lateral movement, and data exfiltration or disruption of operations. (If these sound similar to the cyber kill chain, you're not wrong.) Each stage is carefully planned and executed to maximize the chances of success and minimize the risk of detection.
Now let's turn to these individual stages.
APT attacks are complex and require significant skill and resources to be executed successfully. Understanding each stage of an APT attack could help your organization develop robust defense strategies and effectively mitigate the risk posed by them.
Before launching an attack, malicious attackers take time to gain information about their target. They'll study the organizational structure, employee profiles, network infrastructure, and potential vulnerabilities. To get critical information, they leverage:
Once they've done their homework and have sufficient information, attackers choose an entry point into the target's network. This may involve exploiting vulnerabilities, spear phishing, or using stolen or compromised credentials. The attackers may use custom malware or zero-day exploits to bypass robust security measures.
Attackers often create other cyber threats as a smoke screen to throw security professionals off their trail. For example, they may execute a DDoS attack, which also weakens the security perimeter.
After gaining initial access, the attackers establish a foothold in the target network. They'll often install malware, such as backdoors or rootkits. This allows them to keep access to the network and operate undetected, even if their initial entry point is discovered and closed.
(Related reading: malware & malware detection.)
Once they have an established, persistent presence in the target's network, the attackers will work to escalate their privileges within it. They often exploit vulnerabilities in the target's systems or leverage stolen credentials. By doing so, they gain administrative control over critical assets and systems.
With higher privileges, malicious actors move laterally within the network, compromising even more systems and accounts. They may use tools like pass-the-hash or pass-the-ticket to access other network parts and gather more information or assets.
(Learn how to use Splunk to detect lateral movement.)
Once the attackers have achieved their objectives, such as stealing sensitive data or intellectual property, they carefully exfiltrate the data from the target's network. Sometimes, they may disrupt operations or deploy ransomware to cause more damage or obfuscate their activities.
(Related reading: ransomware trends.)
Throughout the entire process, staying undetected is the attacker's primary goal. They do this through many different tactics, including
Sometimes, they maintain access and monitor the target's network even after achieving their primary objectives.
Once they've achieved their objectives or believe they're at risk of being caught, many attackers initiate a planned exit strategy. This involves:
Organizations must adopt a comprehensive and proactive approach to cybersecurity to defend against APT attacks. Let's review some strategies.
Implement a strong cybersecurity framework based onrecognized standards, such as:
This should include processes for risk management, asset identification, and vulnerability management.
Attackers often leverage employees to get into sophisticated systems. Conduct regular security awareness training to help employees recognize and respond tophishing attempts, social engineering attacks, and other threats.
Stay current on emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and attack techniques by reading threat intelligence feeds and participating in information-sharing initiatives. Collaborate with other organizations, industry groups, and government agencies to stay ahead and informed of evolving APT threats. Follow SURGe and Splunk Threat Research Team for the latest intel and brand-new and long-term strategies for defense.
(Related reading: what are ISACs?)
Conduct regular security audits, vulnerability assessments, andpenetration testing to find and fix network and application weaknesses. Proactive defenses are critical to addressing vulnerabilities before APT attackers can take advantage of them.
Develop and maintain a comprehensive incident response plan that includes procedures for detecting, containing, and remediating APT attacks. Regularly review and update the plan to ensure it remains effective and relevant in the face of evolving threats.
Secure important systems, applications, and use cases by implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) in order to decrease the risk of unauthorized access. Sensitive data should be encrypted both in transit and at rest with strong encryption algorithms as well by secure key management practices. Enforce strong access controls using the principle of least privilege.
APT discovery includes:
AI and machine learning algorithms can be used alongside regular threat hunting exercises to find hidden security threats. Organizations should also make use of threat intelligence feeds to remain abreast of what is happening in the wild, thus improving their detection capabilities around APT tactics.
(Related reading: security monitoring.)
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) establishes a series of guidelines and frameworks that enable organizations to refine how they view the risks associated with APTs.
NIST SP 800-30 Rev 1 provides a structured approach to risk assessments, which is crucial in order to both identify and manage the risks associated with APTs. This publication outlines the significance of knowing about the threat landscape, vulnerability assessment, and what threats may impact organization operations. These guidelines can be used by organizations to develop a complete risk assessment sequence for the identifying and classifying specific APTs and designing corresponding defenses.
NIST SP 800-39 provides a complete view of how to manage information security risk in an organization. This illustrates the necessity of a contextualized risk management framework for which threat assessment should be performed at both business and technical levels.
APTs pose a significant challenge to organizations and governments worldwide. Their targeted, stealthy, and sophisticated nature make them more harmful than most cyberattacks. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, APT attackers are becoming more adept at infiltrating networks, remaining undetected, and achieving their objectives.
Organizations must adopt proactive and multi-layered approaches to cybersecurity defenses to reduce threats effectively. Robust security frameworks, employee awareness, and collaboration are essential to building a resilient defense against APTs. As the threat landscape shifts, it takes a commitment to continuous improvement, collaboration, andcyber resilience to stay one step ahead of these formidable adversaries and safeguard our world.