Active Defense in Cybersecurity
Active Defense in Cybersecurity
In soccer (or football, depending on location), you can’t win by relying solely on defensive players and the goalkeeper. Those players may be excellent, but midfielders and forwards must actively engage with the opponent to control the game and score goals.
Similarly, in cybersecurity, traditional defensive measures are insufficient on their own to counter advanced threats.
That’s why organizations are adopting “active defense” strategies, proactive ways to actively identify, mitigate, and respond to cyber threats in real-time or near-real-time.
Key Aspects of Active Defense
Active defense takes a dynamic and rather aggressive approach to cybersecurity, distinguishing it from passive defense, which focuses on preventing attacks through firewalls, antivirus software, and other security measures. The goal is to proactively disrupt or deter cyber adversaries, gather threat intelligence, and gain insights into their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
Active defense can include:
Threat Intelligence: Information about potential threats, such as known attack vectors, malware, and indicators of compromise (IOCs), helps security teams proactively detect and respond to threats.
Honeypots and Honeynets: These decoy systems or networks that mimic real systems or networks are intentionally designed to attract attackers. When an attacker targets a honeypot or honeynet, security teams can monitor the attacker's activities, learn about their tactics, and gather valuable threat intelligence.
Deception Technologies: Deception technologies involve creating fake assets, files, or credentials within a network to lure attackers. When an attacker interacts with these deceptive elements, security teams can detect their presence, track their movements, and take action to mitigate the threat.
Active Monitoring and Response: Organizations monitor their networks and systems for suspicious or anomalous activities. When suspicious activity is detected, they respond promptly to contain and remediate the threat, minimizing potential damage.
Threat Hunting: Threat hunting involves proactive searching for signs of malicious activity within a network, even when there are no apparent alerts or alarms. Security analysts use their knowledge and threat intelligence to search for hidden threats that may have evaded traditional security measures.
Automated Incident Response: Active defense often includes automated incident response systems that can quickly take action to isolate, block, or mitigate threats. These systems can be programmed to respond to known threats based on predefined playbooks.
Attack Attribution: Active defense efforts may also include attempts to identify the source of cyberattacks, such as determining the geographic location or the group behind the attack. Attribution can be challenging but is valuable for understanding the motivations and origins of attacks.
Legal and Ethical Considerations: Active defense should be conducted within the bounds of applicable laws and regulations. Vigilante actions or unauthorized hacking can lead to legal consequences. Ethical considerations are essential when actively engaging with attackers.
Continuous Improvement: Active defense is an ongoing process. Organizations continually refine their tactics and strategies based on the evolving threat landscape and lessons learned from previous incidents.
Active defense is not without controversy, as it potentially involves actively engaging with potential adversaries, which can escalate cyber conflicts. It requires a careful balance between security and ethical considerations. When done effectively, active defense can help organizations detect and respond to threats more rapidly, reduce the impact of cyberattacks, and improve overall cybersecurity posture.
The Cyber Kill Chain
Active defense activities can occur at various stages of the cyber kill chain, depending on an organization’s specific tactics and strategies.
Image from Lockheed Martin
Here's how active defense can be applied at different stages of the kill chain, as designed by Lockheed Martin:
Reconnaissance: Monitor for intrusion attempts, such as port scanning or information gathering attempts. Intrusion detection systems (IDS) and threat intelligence feeds can assist.
Weaponization: Analyze suspicious files and artifacts to detect malicious activity.
Delivery: Use email filtering, web filtering, and endpoint security solutions to actively detect and block malicious content. This is a critical stage to prevent the initial infection and, to be successful, it’s crucial to understand adversaries’ tools and techniques.
Exploitation: Employ detection techniques, prevention systems, and deception technologies to detect and block exploitation attempts.
Installation: Monitor for unusual or unauthorized activities, such as changes to user accounts or privilege escalation, enable software application control to mitigate unauthorized software installation and file execution.
Command and Control (C2): Identify and block communication between the compromised system and the attacker's command and control servers.
Actions of Objectives: Detect and respond to an attacker's actions within the network using techniques like threat hunting and continuous monitoring to understand the attacker's movements and actions, and monitor access to sensitive information.
Active defense is not limited to a single stage of the kill chain. It requires a continuous and adaptive approach to cybersecurity. Effective active defense involves a combination of technology, threat intelligence, and skilled security personnel.
Why Is Active Defense Important?
Active defense is crucial in cybersecurity as it enables proactive threat detection, reduces dwell time for attackers within networks, mitigates advanced threats, minimizes attack impact, enhances threat intelligence, aids in threat attribution, adapts to evolving threats, complements traditional defenses, serves as a legal and ethical deterrent, and provides a competitive advantage. By actively monitoring, disrupting, and responding to cyber threats, organizations can significantly bolster their cybersecurity posture, protecting valuable data and systems while staying ahead of adversaries.
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