www.darkreading.com Open in urlscan Pro
2606:4700::6810:ddab  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Dark Reading is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC
Informa PLC|ABOUT US|INVESTOR RELATIONS|TALENT
This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all
copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place,
London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales and Scotlan. Number 8860726.

Black Hat NewsOmdia Cybersecurity

Newsletter Sign-Up

Newsletter Sign-Up

Cybersecurity Topics

RELATED TOPICS

 * Application Security
 * Cybersecurity Careers
 * Cloud Security
 * Cyber Risk
 * Cyberattacks & Data Breaches
 * Cybersecurity Analytics
 * Cybersecurity Operations
 * Data Privacy
 * Endpoint Security
 * ICS/OT Security

 * Identity & Access Mgmt Security
 * Insider Threats
 * IoT
 * Mobile Security
 * Perimeter
 * Physical Security
 * Remote Workforce
 * Threat Intelligence
 * Vulnerabilities & Threats


World

RELATED TOPICS

 * DR Global

 * Middle East & Africa

See All
The Edge
DR Technology
Events

RELATED TOPICS

 * Upcoming Events

 * Webinars

SEE ALL
Resources

RELATED TOPICS

 * Library
 * Newsletters
 * Reports
 * Videos
 * Webinars
 * Whitepapers

 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * Partner Perspectives:
 * > Microsoft

SEE ALL


 * Cyberattacks & Data Breaches
 * Identity & Access Management Security
 * Cybersecurity Operations


TOP MITRE ATT&CK TECHNIQUES AND HOW TO DEFEND AGAINST THEM

A cheat sheet for all of the most common techniques hackers use, and general
principles for stopping them.

Nate Nelson, Contributing Writer

April 10, 2024

4 Min Read
Source: Kristoffer Tripplaar via Alamy Stock Photo


Of the hundreds of documented MITRE ATT&CK techniques, two dominate the field:
command and scripting interpreters (T1059) and phishing (T1566).

In a report published on April 10, D3 Security analyzed more than 75,000 recent
cybersecurity incidents. Its goal was to determine which methods of attack were
most common.

The results paint a stark picture: those two techniques outpaced all others by
orders of magnitude, with the top technique outpacing the runner-up by a factor
of three.

For defenders looking to allocate limited attention and resources, here are just
some of the most common ATT&CK techniques, and how to defend against them.




EXECUTION: COMMAND AND SCRIPTING INTERPRETER (USED IN 52.22% OF ATTACKS)

What it is: Attackers write scripts in popular languages like PowerShell and
Python for two primary purposes. Most commonly, they're used to automate
malicious tasks such as harvesting data or downloading and extracting a payload.
They're also useful for evading detection — bypassing antivirus solutions,
extended detection and response (XDR), and the like.



That these scripts are far and away No. 1 on this list is extra surprising to
Adrianna Chen, D3's vice president of product and service. "Since Command and
Scripting Interpreter (T1059) falls under the Execution tactic, it is in the
middle stage of the MITRE ATT&CK kill chain," she says. "So, it is fair to
assume that other techniques from earlier tactics have already gone undetected
by the time that it's detected by the EDR tool. Given that this one technique
was so prominent in our data set, it underscores the importance of having
processes to trace back to the origin of an incident."



How to defend against it: Because malicious scripts are diverse and
multifaceted, dealing with them requires a thorough incident response plan that
combines detection of potentially malicious behaviors with strict watch over
privileges and script execution policies.


INITIAL ACCESS: PHISHING (15.44%)

What it is: Phishing and its subcategory, spear-phishing (T1566.001-004), are
the first and third most common ways attackers gain access to targeted systems
and networks. Using the first in general campaigns and the second when aiming
for specific individuals or organizations, the goal is to coerce victims into
divulging crucial information that will allow a foothold into sensitive accounts
and devices.



How to defend against it: Even the smartest and most educated among us fall for
sophisticated social engineering. Frequent education and awareness campaigns can
go some ways toward protecting employees from themselves and the companies they
provide a window into.


INITIAL ACCESS: VALID ACCOUNTS (3.47%)

What it is: Often, successful phishing allows attackers access to legitimate
accounts. These accounts provide keys to otherwise locked doors, and cover for
their various misdeeds.

How to defend against it: When employees inevitably click on that malicious PDF
or URL, robust multifactor authentication (MFA) can, if nothing else, act as
more hoops for attackers to jump through. Anomaly detection tools can also help
if, for example, a strange user connects from a faraway IP address, or simply
does something they aren't expected to do.


CREDENTIAL ACCESS: BRUTE FORCE (2.05%)

What it is: A more popular option back in the olden days, brute force attacks
have stuck around thanks to the ubiquity of weak, reused, and unchanged
passwords. Here, attackers use scripts that automatically run through username
and password combinations — such as in a dictionary attack — to gain access to
desired accounts.



How to defend against it: No item on this list is as easily and wholly
preventable as brute-force attacks. Using strong enough passwords fixes the
problem on its own, full stop. Other little mechanisms, like locking out a user
after repeated login attempts, also do the trick.


PERSISTENCE: ACCOUNT MANIPULATION (1.34%)

What it is: Once an attacker has used phishing, brute force, or some other means
to access a privileged account, they can then leverage that account to cement
their position in a targeted system. For example, they can change the account's
credentials to lock out its original owner, or possibly adjust permissions in
order to access even more privileged resources than they already have.

How to defend against it: To mitigate the damage from an account compromise, D3
recommends organizations implement stringent restrictions for accessing
sensitive resources, and follow the principle of least privileged access:
granting no more than the minimum level of access necessary for any user to
perform his or her job.

Besides that, it offers a number of recommendations that can apply to this and
other MITRE techniques, including:

 * Maintaining vigilance through continuous monitoring of logs to detect and
   respond to any suspicious account activities

 * Operating under the assumption that the network has already been compromised
   and adopting proactive measures to mitigate potential damage

 * Streamlining response efforts by automating countermeasures upon detection of
   confirmed security breaches, ensuring swift and effective mitigation




ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)

Nate Nelson, Contributing Writer



Nate Nelson is a freelance writer based in New York City. Formerly a reporter at
Threatpost, he contributes to a number of cybersecurity blogs and podcasts. He
writes "Malicious Life" -- an award-winning Top 20 tech podcast on Apple and
Spotify -- and hosts every other episode, featuring interviews with leading
voices in security. He also co-hosts "The Industrial Security Podcast," the most
popular show in its field.

See more from Nate Nelson, Contributing Writer
Keep up with the latest cybersecurity threats, newly discovered vulnerabilities,
data breach information, and emerging trends. Delivered daily or weekly right to
your email inbox.

Subscribe

You May Also Like

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cyberattacks & Data Breaches

Inside Job: Cyber Exec Admits to Hospital Hacks
Cyberattacks & Data Breaches

MOVEit Hackers Pivot to SysAid Zero-Day in Ransomware Attacks
Cyberattacks & Data Breaches

ChatGPT: OpenAI Attributes Regular Outages to DDoS Attacks
Cyberattacks & Data Breaches

Zero-Day Alert: Thousands of Cisco IOS XE Systems Now Compromised
More Insights
Webinars

 * Cybersecurity Strategies for Small and Med Sized Businesses
   
   April 11, 2024

 * Defending Against Today's Threat Landscape with MDR
   
   April 18, 2024

 * Securing Code in the Age of AI
   
   April 24, 2024

 * Beyond Spam Filters and Firewalls: Preventing Business Email Compromises in
   the Modern Enterprise
   
   April 30, 2024

 * Key Findings from the State of AppSec Report 2024
   
   May 7, 2024

More Webinars
Events

 * Black Hat USA - August 3-8 - Learn More
   
   August 3, 2024

 * Cybersecurity's Hottest New Technologies: What You Need To Know
   
   March 21, 2024

 * Black Hat Asia - April 16-19 - Learn More
   
   April 16, 2024

More Events



EDITOR'S CHOICE

A medical professional wearing scrub attire clicking on a screen in front of her
Cyberattacks & Data Breaches
Round 2: Change Healthcare Targeted in Second Ransomware AttackRound 2: Change
Healthcare Targeted in Second Ransomware Attack
byDark Reading Staff
Apr 8, 2024
2 Min Read

Hand-drawn risk management flow chart
Remote Workforce
CISO Corner: Ivanti's Mea Culpa; World Cup Hack; CISOs & Cyber AwarenessCISO
Corner: Ivanti's Mea Culpa; World Cup Hack; CISOs & Cyber Awareness
byTara Seals, Managing Editor, News, Dark Reading
Apr 5, 2024
10 Min Read
Car blueprint 3D blue electric
ICS/OT Security
Software-Defined Vehicle Fleets Face a Twisty Road on
CybersecuritySoftware-Defined Vehicle Fleets Face a Twisty Road on Cybersecurity
byRobert Lemos, Contributing Writer
Apr 8, 2024
5 Min Read

Digital spider on blue background
Threat Intelligence
Solar Spider Spins Up New Malware to Entrap Saudi Arabian Financial FirmsSolar
Spider Spins Up New Malware to Entrap Saudi Arabian Financial Firms
byRobert Lemos, Contributing Writer
Apr 8, 2024
4 Min Read
Reports

 * Industrial Networks in the Age of Digitalization

 * Zero-Trust Adoption Driven by Data Protection

 * How Enterprises Assess Their Cyber-Risk

 * 2021 Digital Transformation Report

 * The 2021 Security Outcomes Study

More Reports
White Papers

 * How Enterprises Secure Their Applications

 * Making Sense of Your Security Data: The 6 Hardest Problems

 * Understanding Today's Threat Actors

 * Use the 2023 MITRE ATT&CK Evaluation Results for Turla to Inform EDR Buying
   Decisions

 * 2023 Work-from-Anywhere Global Study

More Whitepapers
Events

 * Black Hat USA - August 3-8 - Learn More
   
   August 3, 2024

 * Cybersecurity's Hottest New Technologies: What You Need To Know
   
   March 21, 2024

 * Black Hat Asia - April 16-19 - Learn More
   
   April 16, 2024

More Events





DISCOVER MORE WITH INFORMA TECH

Black HatOmdia

WORKING WITH US

About UsAdvertiseReprints

JOIN US


Newsletter Sign-Up

FOLLOW US



Copyright © 2024 Informa PLC Informa UK Limited is a company registered in
England and Wales with company number 1072954 whose registered office is 5
Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Home|Cookie Policy|Privacy|Terms of Use

Cookies Button


ABOUT COOKIES ON THIS SITE

We and our partners use cookies to enhance your website experience, learn how
our site is used, offer personalised features, measure the effectiveness of our
services, and tailor content and ads to your interests while you navigate on the
web or interact with us across devices. You can choose to accept all of these
cookies or only essential cookies. To learn more or manage your preferences,
click “Settings”. For further information about the data we collect from you,
please see our Privacy Policy

Accept All
Settings



COOKIE PREFERENCE CENTER

When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your
browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you,
your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you
expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can
give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to
privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the
different category headings to find out more and change our default settings.
However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site
and the services we are able to offer.
More information
Allow All


MANAGE CONSENT PREFERENCES

STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES

Always Active

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched
off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you
which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy
preferences, logging in or filling in forms.    You can set your browser to
block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then
work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

Cookies Details‎

PERFORMANCE COOKIES

Performance Cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and
improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the
most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site.    All
information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you
do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and
will not be able to monitor its performance.

Cookies Details‎

FUNCTIONAL COOKIES

Functional Cookies

These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and
personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose
services we have added to our pages.    If you do not allow these cookies then
some or all of these services may not function properly.

Cookies Details‎

TARGETING COOKIES

Targeting Cookies

These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may
be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you
relevant adverts on other sites.    They do not store directly personal
information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet
device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted
advertising.

Cookies Details‎
Back Button


BACK



Search Icon
Filter Icon

Clear
checkbox label label
Apply Cancel
Consent Leg.Interest
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
checkbox label label

 * 
   
   View Cookies
   
    * Name
      cookie name

Confirm My Choices