In May, an international group of cybersecurity authorities issued a joint advisory warning about a cyber actor known as Volt Typhoon. This actor was using a technique called “living off the land” to launch attacks on victim organizations. Living-off-the-land attacks are particularly insidious because they exploit existing tools and code within the Microsoft operating system, making them difficult to detect and defend against.
These attacks can often persist within networks for extended periods of time, carrying out various malicious activities before being discovered. While it is not impossible to defend against living-off-the-land attacks, it can be challenging as they utilize legitimate tools that are already present in the system. This means that traditional security measures may not be sufficient in detecting and preventing these attacks.
Fortunately, there are steps that organizations can take to proactively mitigate the risks of living-off-the-land attacks. The advisory recommended several actions, including thorough reviews of firewall egress logs to identify any suspicious activity. However, it is important to note that this approach may not be feasible for every network, as many networks do not have a single exit point that would allow for comprehensive review.
Given the nature of these attacks, it is crucial to explore alternative ways to protect and defend against hidden attackers. Microsoft has highlighted that the goal of these attackers is to blend into the background, using command line commands to collect data and steal credentials from local and network systems. These stolen credentials are then archived and exported for later use, allowing the attackers to maintain persistence within the network while appearing as normal traffic.
To address these challenges, organizations need to prioritize prevention and detection strategies that go beyond traditional security measures. This may involve implementing additional security layers, such as behavioral analytics and anomaly detection, to identify unusual patterns and behaviors that may indicate a living-off-the-land attack.
Furthermore, organizations should prioritize employee education and awareness. Phishing and social engineering tactics are frequently used as entry points for these attacks, so educating employees about common attack vectors and how to identify and report suspicious activities can significantly reduce the risk of successful infiltrations.
Regular and timely patching is also crucial in defending against these attacks. By keeping systems and software up to date, organizations can ensure that known vulnerabilities and weaknesses are patched, making it harder for attackers to exploit them.
In addition to these proactive measures, organizations should also have effective incident response plans in place. By establishing clear protocols and procedures for handling security incidents, organizations can minimize the impact of living-off-the-land attacks and swiftly respond to mitigate any damage caused.
Overall, the threat of living-off-the-land attacks is a significant challenge for organizations today. It requires a holistic approach that combines prevention, detection, employee education, patch management, and incident response strategies. By implementing these measures, organizations can strengthen their defense against hidden attackers and reduce the risk of falling victim to these pernicious cyber threats.