A Strategic Analysis Tool: What is Cyber Kill Chain?
In the cyber world, security experts and defense analysts use various tools and models to understand and prevent complex cyber attacks. One of these tools is a model called “Cyber Kill Chain”. This model, developed by Lockheed Martin, is used to understand attackers’ movements and develop defense strategies by dividing cyber attacks into stages.
What is Cyber Kill Chain?
Cyber Kill Chain is actually a security concept and is often used by large-scale organizations, cyber security experts and security companies. Lockheed Martin is the company that developed this model, but the model has generally become the industry standard and has been adopted by many cybersecurity professionals.
This model provides a framework used to understand, detect, and develop defensive strategies for cyber attacks. Therefore, it is often preferred by large organizations or people interested in cybersecurity, especially to analyze and prevent complex attacks.
Cyber Kill Chain is a cyber security model from Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin originally developed the model for customers in the defense industry. However, the use of the model is not limited to the defense industry. Many cybersecurity experts use this model to understand cyber attacks and develop defense strategies.
Why Used?
Understanding Attacks: Cyber Kill Chain provides a framework for understanding how attackers plan and execute cyber attacks.
Detection and Defense: The model is used to identify and develop defense strategies. Measures taken at each stage can help detect attacks and mitigate their impact.
Training and Awareness: Cyber Kill Chain provides training and awareness to cybersecurity teams to better understand and be prepared for attacks.
This model offers organizations a powerful tool to create and improve their cybersecurity strategies.
Cyber Kill Chain is a model that describes the stages from the beginning to the end of a cyber attack. This model lists the steps attackers typically follow as follows:
1. Reconnaissance:
This is the stage where the attacker collects information about target systems. This information usually includes the target’s infrastructure, systems, employees, network topology, etc. Includes topics.
Examples:
Gathering information from employees using social engineering techniques.
Pulling information from public sources (website, social media) of the target organization.
Collecting the target’s IP address and ownership information from WHOIS databases.
2. Weaponization:
The attacker creates the malware and prepares a weapon to infect target systems.
Examples:
Attaching a malicious file to a malicious email attachment.
Infecting visitors by adding malicious codes to websites.
Sharing malicious links on social media.
3. Delivery:
The prepared malware is transmitted to target systems.
Examples:
Distribution of malicious files via email campaigns.
Delivering harmful content placed on websites to user devices.
Infection via USB or other portable media.
4. Exploitation:
Malware infiltrates target systems by exploiting vulnerabilities.
Examples:
Infiltrating systems by exploiting a known security vulnerability.
Using weak configurations of the target or misconfigured services.
Infiltrating systems with attack types such as ransomware.
5. Installation:
The malware is installed on the system and equipped with root privileges or necessary permissions.
Examples:
Placement of malware in system files.
Restoring backed up or encrypted files.
Using persistence mechanisms (for example, creating services to start automatically).
6. Command and Control:
The attacker creates a port to gain control over the system.
Examples:
Malware communicates with a server controlled by the attacker.
Undetected command and control communication by generating covert network traffic.
Using covert communication channels to carry out remote commands.
7. Actions on Objectives:
The attacker reaches his main goal and achieves the set goals.
Examples:
Gaining access to sensitive data.
Spreading to other systems by expanding powers.
Stealing, altering or destroying data.
The Cyber Kill Chain model is used to understand each of these stages and shape defense strategies according to these stages.
Why is it important?
The Cyber Kill Chain model provides cybersecurity professionals with a framework to better understand, detect and prevent attacks. Measures taken at each stage can reduce the impact of the attack or stop it completely. This model is important in understanding the road map followed by attackers when developing defense strategies.
Cyber Kill Chain provides cybersecurity professionals with guidance on better understanding attacks and optimizing defense strategies as organizations develop their cybersecurity strategies. This model is a powerful tool used to provide a more effective defense against ever-evolving threats in the cyber world.
Source; https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/capabilities/cyber/cyber-kill-chain.html
