Have you heard of the cyber kill chain? If not, don’t fret as you are not alone. The cyber kill chain makes it that much easier to understand each unique stage of a cyberattack and also predict cyberattack progression. Understanding how hackers operate makes it that much easier to pinpoint the optimal tools to minimize breaches and defend against attacks that are in progress. Below, our IT support professionals provide a closer look at the cyber kill chain.
The Cyber Kill Chain
Cyber kill chains are security models that detail the different phases of a digital attack. The kill chain entails each stage of the network breach, starting with the initial planning and extending all the way to the cyber miscreant’s goal. A thorough understanding of each stage of a digital attack makes it that much easier to plan the strategies necessary to thwart those invasions. The cyber kill chain helps prepare for web-based threats, ranging from data theft to network breaches, advanced persistent attacks, and ransomware attacks.
The roots of the phrase “kill chain” stem back to the military. The first concept defined the army operation’s structure for zeroing in on a target, beginning with its identification, progressing to dispatching force, issuing the order for the strike, and finally, eliminating the target.
The seven phases of the cyber kill chain are the different steps of a successful attack. An IT support security team has a chance to stop attackers at every stage, yet organizations of all types can identify and stop threats in the first half of the cyber kill chain.
Cyber Kill Chain Reconnaissance and Weaponization
The hacker starts out by obtaining the information necessary to launch the attack. This is performed with reconnaissance. The hacker zeroes in on the target by researching the business, pinpointing network weak points. In some cases, the hacker interacts with the victim yet other hackers will obtain unauthorized network access for direct access. The hacker identifies weak points and proceeds to the weaponization stage. However, the use of firewalls for digital security reinforcement along with monitoring entry/visitor logs for shady behavior and employee cybersecurity training will help prevent such attacks.
Even prioritizing the protection of individuals and systems that are reconnaissance targets will help. Defending against weaponization is possible with the analysis of malware artifacts to identify shady similarities/timelines. The use of automated threat detection tools will also help.
Defending Against Delivery
The delivery of the infection can occur with an infected USB device, a phishing attack, direct hacking, a drive-by download, or hardware exploitation. You can protect against attack delivery with patch management tools, performing penetration tests, monitoring for odd behavior, using patch management tools, and flagging alterations to files.
Our IT support specialists at Vitalpoints are here to help your business protect sensitive information and continue operating like a well-oiled machine. Reach out to us today to schedule an initial consultation.