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TO DEFEAT CYBERCRIMINALS, UNDERSTAND HOW THEY THINKTO DEFEAT CYBERCRIMINALS,
UNDERSTAND HOW THEY THINK

Getting inside the mind of a threat actor can help security pros understand how
they operate and what they're looking for — in essence, what makes a soft
target.

Ben Barrontine, Vice President of Executive Services & Partnerships, 360 Privacy

December 17, 2024

4 Min Read
Source: Igor Stevanovic via Alamy Stock Photo


COMMENTARY

What are cybercriminals thinking? Inside the mind of a threat actor, the devil
is in the details. Cybersecurity is composed of so many details that it's easy
to miss some of them. For instance, even if you have all other employees
protected, just one person not using two-factor authentication could put them
all at risk.

Back in the day, a 99% success rate for security solutions was considered good.
But the problem is that there's still a 1% chance of an attack getting through.
To defeat that 1% chance, you must have layers of security. If you've got 10
layers of 99% success, you stack the odds in your favor that you will catch just
about every security threat.

Defenses are getting more advanced, so threat actors will always search for the
point of least resistance. In our day and age, that point is the human element.
According to IBM, 41% of all cybersecurity incidents start with phishing as the
initial attack vector. Fortunately, though, it's not all doom and gloom. By
understanding the enemy, you can better prepare your organization against
cyberattacks.


THE STATE OF SECURITY: UNDERSTANDING WHERE THREAT ACTORS LOOK

Many threat actors are returning to the basics of social engineering by using
information they get from data brokers. They're using basic phishing tactics to
hook a target, because it avoids the automated cybersecurity tools and directly
engages the individual human.

Cybercriminals rarely commit direct attacks against the designated target
person. They typically find someone in the target's support system: an executive
assistant, a spouse, kids, or the live-in grandmother. Whoever is the softest
target in that support system will be the one who clicks a link. It doesn't
matter if they have the latest, greatest security software update. Think of the
Trojan horse story: A walled city's defenses were no match for a clever scheme
that went right past all those defenses. In fact, the defenders opened the gates
wide and unwittingly let the threat in.


TRAIN THE COMPANY'S CYBER-SPIDEY SENSES

You have to develop a certain level of "Spidey sense" in employees, and it can
be as simple as realizing that they need a second opinion before clicking a
link. They don't have to be subject matter experts; they just have to know
enough to recognize when they should ask someone else. After all, the Verizon
"2024 Data Breach Investigations Report" notes that more than two-thirds (68%)
of breaches analyzed included a nonmalicious human element, which involves
insider errors or falling for social engineering schemes.

Part of developing this sense is looking for red flags in emails. While this may
be getting harder with AI, there are still some obvious signs. Misspellings, odd
phrasing, strange fonts, or out-of-character requests are all good indicators
that something is amiss. For example, you would never get an email from your mom
saying, "Hello, I need you to buy me gift cards." In addition, train employees
to hover over the sender's name to see the email address. If the subject line
says "Comcast," but the email address ends in "gmail.com," they can bet the
email is a scam.

If a bad actor can access someone's packets by Wi-Fi sniffing or other means,
the actor doesn't have to follow the person — they can just build out an
electronic pattern of life and figure out where the target is going. That
jeopardizes physical and digital safety. So, employees need to know not to
connect to free Wi-Fi without a VPN and to turn Wi-Fi off when not using it.

People sometimes have the mistaken notion that they aren't targets for bad
actors because they aren't famous and don't have a high net worth. But that's
simply not the case today. Anyone with any online presence is a potential target
to attackers. That means everyone needs to know their cyber hygiene.

Basic cyber hygiene is essential and easy. Steps to train employees on include:

 * Be more stringent about the info they share online

 * Review and adjust privacy settings

 * Use strong and unique passwords

 * Enable two-factor authentication

 * Monitor online presence

 * Learn about data brokers

 * Secure all devices

 * Be skeptical of unsolicited requests

 * Regularly audit third-party apps

 * Monitor credit reports

 * Separate personal and professional identities

All of these points can be taught and tested via ongoing training.


OUTMANEUVERING THE CYBERCRIMINALS

Getting inside the mind of a threat actor can help security pros understand how
they operate and what they're looking for — in essence, what makes a soft
target. Criminals go after the low-hanging fruit, such as people who click on
suspicious links. Your job is to harden all targets at your organization. 

One of the security layers needed to close that 1% gap mentioned earlier is
ongoing cyber-hygiene training for all employees from the bottom to the top.
This aspect of a full-spectrum security plan is crucial, as humans are typically
the weakest link in the security chain. However, with the proper education and
training, they can become a solid first line of defense that helps keep everyone
in the organization safe.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ben Barrontine

Vice President of Executive Services & Partnerships, 360 Privacy

Ben Barrontine joined 360 Privacy in 2021 and currently holds the position of
vice president of executive services and partnerships. Prior to 360 Privacy, Ben
worked as a targeting specialist with the National Security Agency (NSA) under
the US Army’s CSS Program. During his time in service he has worked with the US
Marshalls, Special Forces, and US Embassy Security Teams as a cyber and signals
intelligence collector and targeting subject matter expert. Ben created and
leads the Executive Services Division at 360 Privacy, which helps to educate and
protect families, family offices, business executives, professional athletes,
and entertainers.

See more from Ben Barrontine
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.

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