Advanced Persistent Threats: The Sneaky Cyber Attack You Need to Know About
An Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) is a sophisticated, protracted, and highly targeted form of cyber attack in which threat actors infiltrate a network and maintain covert access over an extended duration. Unlike traditional cyber attacks, which are typically swift and conspicuous, APTs are characterised by their stealth, persistence, and precision. These attackers employ advanced techniques to evade detection, enabling them to continuously extract valuable information or disrupt critical operations without triggering alarms.
APTs are often aimed at highly skilled adversaries, including state-sponsored groups or organised criminal entities, who strategically target high-value entities such as government agencies, financial institutions, and multinational corporations. Their goal is not merely to breach security but to remain undetected for prolonged periods, exploiting vulnerabilities over time to siphon sensitive data and intellectual property or even compromise infrastructure integrity.
The APTs persistence and complexity make them particularly dangerous and difficult to detect. Their advanced methods allow attackers to bypass traditional security measures, requiring organisations to implement sophisticated, multi-layered defence strategies to mitigate the risks associated with such threats. Consequently, APTs represent a significant challenge in the field of cyber security, necessitating constant vigilance and adaptive defence mechanisms.
Let’s understand the APTs in detail.
Stages of Advanced Persistent Threats
APTs progress in various steps. This attack aims to gain unauthorised access to the system.
Infiltration
The initial phase of an APT typically begins with infiltrating the target network, often through social engineering tactics that manipulate human behaviour. One of the most common methods for achieving this is spear-phishing, a targeted attack that specifically exploits high-level individuals, such as senior executives, IT personnel, or other key decision-makers. These phishing emails are meticulously crafted, often referencing ongoing projects or leveraging insider knowledge gathered from previous compromises within the organisation. This personalised approach increases the likelihood of success, as it appears authentic to the recipient.
Expansion
After gaining initial access, the APT progresses to the escalation and lateral movement stage. Attackers typically deploy malware to expand their presence within the network, moving laterally to explore and map the internal infrastructure. During this phase, they aim to gather credentials, such as usernames and passwords, which are used to access more critical systems and sensitive business information. Attackers may also create a backdoor to re-enter the network later, undetected. Multiple entry points are often established to ensure the attack can continue even if one compromised access point is discovered and shut down.
Extraction
This is the final step of the APT attack chain, where attacks begin to collect and store valuable data within the compromised network, often securing it in hidden or encrypted locations to avoid detection. Once enough data is gathered, the perpetrators must extract it without getting detected. Typically, adversaries employ white noise tactics to divert the attention of security and create an opportunity for data exfiltration. These distractions could be anything, including Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, which not only occupy the time and resources of network personnel but can also weaken site defences, facilitating the extraction of the stolen data.
Tips to Protect Against APT Attacks
There are different types of security measures available that help organisations protect against APTs.
Traffic Monitoring
Monitoring ingress and egress is critical for preventing the installation of backdoors and blocking the exfiltration of stolen data. Scrutinising network traffic helps security personnel determine any unusual behaviour and unauthorised data flows before escalating into a significant breach.
Application and Domain Allowlisting
Domain allowlisting is a proactive cyber security approach designed to control the domains that can be accessed and the applications that can be installed within an organisation’s network. By allowing only explicitly approved domains and applications, allowlisting reduces the potential attack surfaces available to threat actors. Allowlisting serves as a critical barrier against many types of attacks, particularly those that rely on exploiting external resources or unauthorised applications. For instance, APT actors often attempt to download malicious payloads or malware through compromised domains or unapproved applications.
Threat Intelligence
Threat Intelligence is a critical component of modern cyber security that helps defend against advanced cyber threats, such as APT groups. This approach provides valuable insight into the threat actor’s attack context, origin, and objectives. Moreover, threat intelligence enables the tracking of ongoing cyber campaigns. Instead of responding reactively to isolated incidents, security teams can take a more strategic approach by monitoring long-term attack campaigns.
Access Control
Employees remain the most vulnerable point for perpetrators in the security perimeter. Unfortunately, they are easily targeted by the perpetrators to infiltrate your defence system. Cyber criminals often view network users as an entry point to breach systems, gather sensitive information, and expand their reach within your network. This is why strong access control mechanisms are crucial to safeguarding your organisation from internal and external threats.
Conclusion
APT remains an enduring and formidable challenge in cyber security, demanding a continuous and adaptive defence posture. These highly sophisticated, targeted attacks can infiltrate networks, establish a persistent presence, and exfiltrate sensitive data over extended periods. Organisations must remain vigilant and adopt a multi-layered defence strategy to mitigate the risks posed by APTs.
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