7 stages of a cyber kill chain

7 stages of a cyber kill chain

The CThe Cyber Kill Chain is a framework that Lockheed Martin has developed in describing the various phases of a cyberattack, starting from reconnaissance to executing the attack. It aids cybersecurity professionals in the better detection and response toward each phase of an attack through understanding the Cyber Kill Chain. The following are its seven stages: 7 stages of a cyber kill chain

This model was based on Lockheed Martin in 2011 and brought a concept copied from military actions. In describing the steps toward a successful adversary attack, they named it “Cyber Kill Chain.” On breaking down a Kill Chain, seven distinct process steps are made by an attacker, each serving as a gateway for a more distinct approach with an opportunity on the part of defenders to prepare their protection scheme at each juncture in the process of an attacker.

1.Reconnaissance:

Passive Reconnaissance: Attackers get information without confronting the target directly. This might include scanning through public records, social media sites, websites, and other accessible data. Their aim is to achieve intelligence without notifying the target that they are active. For instance, attackers could find out an organization’s essential employees by looking through LinkedIn profiles or study a company’s infrastructure that is visible to the public for possible flaws.

Active Reconnaissance: In this phase, the attacker will directly interact with the target network. This can be in techniques such as an IP address range scan on the target to identify what ports are open, vulnerabilities, or misconfigurations. This step may have more aggression than the others and could be easily detected by an intrusion detection system, so it is riskier for the attacker. 7 stages of a cyber kill chain

When probing around, attackers determine the vulnerabilities present in the defense of the cybersecurity of the targeted system. Unpatched vulnerabilities in software may attract attackers, poor passwords, and services left exposed, which offer opportunities for entry into the system. The information found during reconnaissance serves as a key base for subsequent attacks.

Finding vulnerabilities that can be exploited in subsequent phases is the objective. An organization can defend itself against this by monitoring their public exposure and conducting security awareness training for employees.

2.Weaponization:

 Objective: Once enough reconnaissance data is collected, the attacker will then enter the weaponization stage. This involves generating the harmful payload to be used in exploiting the identified vulnerability. Often times, weaponization constitutes malware creation, which may take forms of viruses, worms, ransomware, and others. This malware is then prepared in a way that it can well exploit the vulnerabilities generated in reconnaissance. 7 stages of a cyber kill chain

For instance, when an attacker finds a vulnerability in a particular software application, they can create a custom exploit to take advantage of it. Then the attacker “weaponizes” this exploit by embedding it into a malicious file, such as an email attachment or a compromised website. The attacker will also use many obfuscation techniques to avoid detection by security software, such as encryption or polymorphism and changing the code structure so that signatures-based detection cannot catch them.

The weaponization process may include the selection of the proper delivery method for the attack. The delivery method may be through email phishing campaigns, drive-by downloads, or even physical means depending on circumstances. This stage is important because the attacker must ensure that the payload of the malware is refined for the particular environment of the target. 7 stages of a cyber kill chain

Activities: Coupling malware with a delivery method, such as an exploit or a phishing email.

To identify and stop such risks, organizations should have strong email filtering and security procedures in place.

3.Delivery:

Delivery is the way an attacker transmits the weaponized payload to the target. It is the delivery phase where an attacker tries to deliver malware or malicious code into the victim’s system.

Common delivery methods are used by cybercriminals and include:

Phishing Emails: Most attackers use e-mail as a delivery vehicle for malicious payloads. In a phishing email attack, the attacker poses as a trusted entity (such as a bank, government agency, or colleague) to convince the recipient to open a malicious attachment or click on a malicious link. 7 stages of a cyber kill chain

Malicious Websites and Downloads: Cybercriminals may also exploit websites to download malware. These sites may either be compromised legitimate websites or newly created websites with malicious intentions. If a victim visits the compromised website, the malware will be automatically downloaded and executed.

USB Devices: In some cases, attackers may use physical media such as USB drives to deliver malware. This can be done by infecting USB devices and then placing them in high-traffic areas or directly handing them to potential victims. 7 stages of a cyber kill chain

Exploit Kits: Exploit kits are pre-packaged tools that attackers can use to automate the delivery of malware through web vulnerabilities. Once a user visits an infected website, the exploit kit automatically attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in the user’s browser or plugins, delivering the malware.

 Goal: The attacker delivers the malicious payload to the victim.

Activities: Using emails (phishing), infected websites, USB drives, or other methods to deliver the payload.

Employees who receive good security awareness training can easily recognize suspicious emails and links, thus reducing the chance of successful delivery. 7 phases of a cyber kill chain

4.Exploitation:

Exploitation refers to the level at which a malicious payload makes an attempt to gain access into a target system, exploiting some vulnerabilities. Usually, this stage utilizes a known error in some kind of software configuration or exploit which allows it to execute its harmful code; as a result of a successful exploitation, an initial foothold inside the target environment is acquired.

The exploitation phase can occur in various ways, depending on the nature of the attack and the vulnerabilities that are present. Some common exploitation techniques include 7 stages of a cyber kill chain

Buffer Overflows: Attackers may exploit a buffer overflow vulnerability to overwrite a program’s memory and inject malicious code. By doing so, they can gain control of the system or execute arbitrary code.

SQL Injection: This is when attackers use techniques called SQL injection against a web application that has not been secured enough, allowing them to manipulate the underlying database so they can read, modify, or delete sensitive data.

Zero-Day Exploits: Zero-day exploits refer to the situation whereby a vulnerability has been used by an attacker before the vendor issued a patch or fix. Zero-day exploits can be especially deadly because most often, they remain hidden from security defenses. 7 stages of a cyber kill chain

Privilege Escalation: After gaining initial access, the attacker may try to escalate privileges in order to obtain administrative or root-level access. This is usually achieved through the exploitation of additional vulnerabilities or weaknesses in the system.

   Objective: The payload exploits the vulnerabilities of the victim’s system to gain control.

   Actions: Exploiting software bugs, user behavior, or unpatched vulnerabilities to run the malware.

Effective security awareness training makes employees more adept at spotting suspicious emails and links, which reduces the likelihood of a successful delivery. 7 stages of a cyber kill chain

5. Installation:

In the installation phase, the attacker tries to make a more persistent presence in the target network. The objective is to ensure that the attacker can continue to maintain access even if the initial vulnerability is patched or the system is rebooted.

The installation phase usually involves the following techniques:

Backdoors: Backdoor is a technique applied to bypass normal authentication for accessing a system. Attackers frequently put up backdoors to enable them to access the system again at their own discretion, behind a veil of masked detection. 7 stages of a cyber kill chain

Rootkits: A rootkit is a set of software that allows an attacker to cover their tracks within a system. It empowers the attacker to keep control over the compromised system through obscuring the created files, processes, or even system changes.

Malware persistence mechanisms: attackers use various mechanisms to ensure that the malware cannot be easily removed from the system. They may, for example, modify startup files or alter the system configurations so that the attacker retains control of the system for a longer time 7 stages of a cyber kill chain

   Goal: The attacker installs the malware on the victim’s system.

   Activities: Installing backdoors, rootkits, or other types of malware to maintain access to the compromised system.

This risk can be minimized by using EDR tools that can find and isolate malicious software. 7 stages of a cyber kill chain

6.Command and Control (C2):

Methods for command and control: These refer to the methods through which an attacker employs to remotely communicate with and control the compromised system or network after establishing a foothold. Following the establishment of a foothold, the attacker needs a way to issue commands and control the infected systems. 7 stages of a cyber kill chain

This communication is usually done over an outbound connection to an external command and control server. The channel is used to send instructions to the attacker for updating malware, exfiltrating data from the compromised network, among other things. Some common methods of establishing a command and control include:

HTTP/HTTPS Requests: Most hackers use common protocols of web traffic, such as HTTP or HTTPS, to connect with infected computers. This can help them remain undetected because they mask their communications by using normal network traffic. 7 stages of a cyber kill chain

DNS Tunneling: Cyber attackers can even use DNS requests to create an encrypted tunnel between a victim’s machine and the server of the attacker, bypassing firewalls and other security systems in place for the network.

Peer-to-peer (P2P) Communication: Advanced malware variants also make use of peer-to-peer networks that decentralize command and control, which becomes more challenging for defenders to disrupt the communication channel

Goal: The attacker establishes communication between the compromised system and their remote server.

Activities: Connection of the victim’s system with the attacker’s infrastructure to enable the remote control and monitoring.

At this point, the attacker creates a command and control channel to connect with the compromised system. It allows them to exfiltrate data and send orders. Organizations can identify odd outgoing connections that might point to a C2 arrangement by effectively monitoring network traffic. 7 stages of a cyber kill chain

7.Actions on Objectives:

The final phase of the Cyber Kill Chain is the “Actions on Objectives,” wherein the attacker achieves his ultimate goal. This can be malicious activity in whatever form, based on the motivation of the attacker and the kind of target. Common objectives at this stage include:

Data theft: the attacker might be interested in exfiltrating sensitive data, such as intellectual property, trade secrets, customer information, or financial records, for sale in the black market or further exploitation.

Destruction or corruption of data: In some attacks, the goal might be to destroy or corrupt key data. This ranges from encrypting files, for example, with ransomware to deleting important system files that cripple operations.

Espionage: Sometimes, in attacks sponsored by governments, the hackers may seek information or engage in espionage by tapping into government or corporate secrets.

Disruption of Services: The attackers may attempt to disrupt or disable some critical services through Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks or even sabotage the infrastructure..

Goal: The attacker accomplishes their intended goal, such as data exfiltration, destruction, or financial gain.

   Activities: Stealing data, manipulating systems, installing further payloads, or sabotaging the system.

The last step is an action by the attacker to carry out their desired goals, where they might be stealing data or destroying data and then using the network for further exploitation. Organizations can protect against this stage by installing strong DLP procedures and frequent audits to search for and safeguard sensitive data.

Conclusion

By gaining a better understanding of the Cyber Kill Chain, organizations may have a better time in anticipating, identifying, and addressing cyber risks. Businesses may utilize focused security measures to break the chain of attacks before the attackers accomplish their objectives by identifying the stages of an assault. Successful mitigation of cyber threats requires three elements: vulnerability management, monitoring, and continued training. Adopting a proactive approach to cybersecurity could make organizations considerably more resilient to changing threats.

The seven stages-reconnaissance, weaponization, delivery, exploitation, installation, command and control, and actions on objectives-are not necessarily sequential attackers can bypass some of these stages or can employ phases several times to eventually realize their goal. It is only by transposing the kill chain into detection and response strategies that can help organizations have a better security posture and hence reduce the risk of a cyber attack succeeding.