Cyber Kill Chain
Table of Contents
What is the Cyber Kill Chain? 3
Stages of the Cyber Kill Chain 3
Mitigations of the Cyber Kill Chain Stage 7
Limitations and Critiques of the Cyber Kill Chain 8
Cyberattacks have grown to represent a serious threat to people, companies, and governments in recent years. Cybersecurity Ventures estimates that by 2025, the global cost of cybercrime-related losses will be $10.5 trillion USD yearly. Security experts have created a variety of frameworks and methods to comprehend and stop cyberattacks in order to tackle these risks. The Cyber Kill Chain, created by Lockheed Martin, is one such framework. This paradigm is extensively used in the sector and offers a thorough grasp of the various phases of a cyberattack.
Prior to 2011, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) were the two renowned cybersecurity frameworks that provided guidelines for reducing cybersecurity risks and enhancing the safe implementation of technology in organizations.
Unfortunately, these frameworks were unable to break down the detailed stages of cyberattacks and the best mechanisms to use to defend organizations at the various stages.
In 2011, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, which is an American corporation that specializes in information security as one of its core responsibilities, came up with the concept of the “Cyber Kill Chain” as a better approach to defining the various steps in launching a cyber attack in order to help organizations comprehend and deduce how to defend themselves throughout those stages (Lockhead Martin Corporation, 2011).
By applying the theory of a “Kill Chain” which was initially a military term for describing the series of events that are followed to destroy a target, the “Cyber Kill Chain” explains the several stages that a cyber attacker passes through to successfully perforate a target’s network to perform malicious activities.
The cyber kill chain is a security defense model or framework that tracks a series of cyber attacks from their inception, reconnaissance to the point where the cyber attack occurs and exfiltration of data occurs. This framework is built on the assumption that cyberattacks can be broken into different stages so that they can be better understood and cyber professionals can plan against these attacks. This model is divided into 7 stages: reconnaissance, weaponization, delivery, exploitation, installation, command and control, and action and objective.
There are seven stages of the cyber kill chain which are:
The different stages of the cyber kill chain is important and is attached to an action of a cyber attack. For example the weaponization stage is where threat actors develop malicious payload to be used. Threat actors must complete the full chain for a cyber attack to be successful. When their actions are intruded and stopped at any stage, then a cyber attack has not been successful. The different stages of the cyber kill chain are explained in the following paragraphs.
Reconnaissance is the first stage of a cyber security attack, and the first stage in the Cyber Kill Chain. It involves the attacker gathering information about the target to identify vulnerabilities, system architecture, and user behavior. This stage can be divided into two phases: passive and active. During passive reconnaissance, the attacker uses indirect methods to collect publicly available information. Once enough information is gathered, the attacker proceeds to active reconnaissance, which involves interacting with the organization to probe their system for open ports and other vulnerabilities.
The reconnaissance stage of the Cyber Kill Chain is critical because it lays the groundwork for the subsequent stages of the attack. In addition to the methods mentioned above, reconnaissance can also be carried out through techniques such as email phishing, social media profiling, and physical surveillance. The attacker aims to gather as much information as possible about the target to find weaknesses that can be exploited.
It's worth noting that reconnaissance is not a one-time event but an ongoing process that occurs throughout the attack. The attacker may continue to gather information as the attack progresses to improve their chances of success. Therefore, to identify and stop attempts of reconnaissance, organizations need to have strong security measures in place.
The second stage of the Cyber Kill Chain is weaponization. In this stage, the attacker develops a tool or weapon to take advantage of a weakness or vulnerability in the target system, such as malware, an exploit, or a backdoor. The attacker can use a wide range of weapons, including Remote Access Trojans (RATs) and logic bombs. The goal is to gain unauthorized access, cause damage, or steal data.
Understanding the weapons used by attackers can help organizations implement security measures to detect and prevent attacks before they occur. The weaponization stage is critical because it is during this step that the attacker produces the payload that will be used to carry out the attack. By identifying vulnerabilities and weaknesses, organizations can better protect themselves from cyber attacks.
Delivery is the third stage in the Cyber Kill Chain, and it involves the successful deployment of the weaponized payload to the target system. To deliver the malware to the victim, the attacker uses a variety of social engineering techniques, such as phishing, luring, spoofing, and whaling. One of the most common delivery methods is through links sent via disguised email addresses containing viruses that can harm the system. Impersonation is another tactic where the attacker poses as a trusted source or creates an emergency to persuade the victim to execute the malware.
To counter the delivery of malware, several effective measures can be employed. For instance, installing antivirus software, implementing a firewall, filtering emails, computers, and gadgets, and updating software regularly to the latest version. Educating users on how to identify cyber attack tactics can also help to prevent the delivery stage of malware.
The successful execution of the delivery stage grants the perpetrator access to the target system, enabling them to move on to the next stage of exploiting the access already granted. The delivery stage is critical, and organizations must implement robust security measures to detect and prevent malware delivery before it can cause harm.
Exploitation is the fourth stage of the Cyber Kill Chain. Once the attacker has successfully delivered the weaponized payload, they can then use it to exploit vulnerabilities in the system. This can be achieved through a variety of methods, such as exploiting a software vulnerability or using a stolen credential. Once the attacker has access to the system, they can perform their malicious actions, like stealing confidential information or adding additional malware.
To prevent exploitation, organizations should prioritize patch management and staying up-to-date with software updates. It is also important to implement multi-factor authentication and strong password policies to prevent the use of stolen credentials. Network segmentation can also help to limit the scope of a potential breach, making it more difficult for attackers to move laterally within the system.
The ultimate objective of exploitation is to acquire access to the target machine; after doing so, the attacker can proceed to the installation stage of the Cyber Kill Chain.
The fourth and crucial phase in the Cyber Kill Chain is installation, which gives the attacker ongoing access to the system even after the initial attack has been discovered and tackled. The attacker may use various methods, including sending phishing scams, password hacking, finding vulnerabilities in the system, and social engineering, to gain access to the target's system and compromise it. Once the attacker gains access to the system, they may escalate their privileges to gain administrative rights and access sensitive information.
To maintain control over the system, the attacker may install a backdoor or a rootkit on the target's system, which allows them to have persistent access even after the target reboots the system. The attacker may then move laterally across the network to gain access to other systems by exploiting any vulnerabilities they find. Finally, the attacker may choose to exfiltrate sensitive data or information they have found from the target system.
To prevent the installation stage of the Cyber Kill Chain, organizations can take various preventive measures, including regular software and system updates, using antivirus software, and limiting user access rights to critical systems. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and access control measures can help to prevent lateral movement across the network.
In the cyber kill chain, establishing command and control is important. This stage is the last one before the execution of a cyberattack, which is the action stage. At this stage, it is the last opportunity for cybersecurity experts or defenders to stop an attack. In the military, it is important for a commander to establish control, and this is the same for cyber attackers.
After the initial stages of the cyber kill chain have been established and an attacker has successfully maintained a connection with a device or network and installed malware, the next step is to establish a remote connection to give commands. This involves having control of the victim's devices, such as the keyboard. Once an attacker has taken control of a portion of the target's system or accounts, they can remotely track, monitor, and manipulate their deployed cyber weapons and tool stacks.
Cybercriminals often employ obfuscation and DoS assaults, such as file deletion, binary padding, code signing, endpoint denial of service, resource hijacking, network denial of service, and system shutdowns, to avoid detection. They hide their tracks through deletion to ensure that intrusions are not detected and oftentimes launch a denial of service attack to cause an organization to be overwhelmed. While their systems and networks crash and possible solutions are being sourced, the threat actor performs their primary goal.
To defend against these, network monitoring such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and security information and event management (SIEM) solutions can be used to detect and prevent unauthorized traffic from leaving the network. Endpoint protection solutions, such as antivirus and endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools, can also be used to detect and remediate malicious activity on individual devices.
It is important for organizations to have strong incident response plans in place to quickly detect and respond to any attacks that may have bypassed these security measures. Regular security awareness training for employees can also help prevent attacks from being successful in the first place by teaching them how to identify and avoid social engineering and phishing attacks.
During the Actions on Objectives stage, the attacker's focus is on achieving their ultimate goal. This could be stealing valuable information, disrupting operations, or causing physical harm, depending on the nature of the attack. It is important to note that this stage is the ultimate objective of the entire Cyber Kill Chain process, and the attacker would have gone through all the previous stages to reach this point.
Attackers can use a wide range of tools and techniques during this stage to achieve their objectives, including malware, social engineering, and other forms of cyberattacks. They may also employ tactics such as lateral movement to gain access to other systems or networks within the organization, which can help them achieve their objectives more effectively.
In conclusion, the Cyber Kill Chain process' final stage, Actions on Objectives, is where the attacker accomplishes their main objective. For organizations to effectively identify, prevent, and react to attacks at this point, solid cybersecurity measures must be in place. This entails putting in place efficient security measures like firewalls, IDS/IPS, and security information and event management (SIEM) programmes. In addition, organizations should regularly train their staff in cybersecurity to better prepare them to spot threats and take appropriate action.
Mitigating the Cyber Kill Chain involves a comprehensive security approach to preventing, detecting, and responding to cyber threats at different stages of the kill chain. Though various mitigating actions have been given in the different stages of the cyber kill chain, there are several strategies and best practices that organizations can implement to minimize the risk of successful attacks. Here are some key ways to mitigate the cyber kill chain:
By implementing these strategies and best practices, organizations can effectively mitigate the cyber kill chain and reduce the risk of successful attacks. It is significant to emphasize that a holistic approach is required because no one strategy or tool can offer total defense against all cyberthreats and attacks.
The Cyber Kill Chain model has been widely adopted and is commonly used as a framework for understanding and preventing cyber attacks. However, it has also faced criticism and limitations.
One of the main critiques of the Cyber Kill Chain is that it is too linear and doesn't account for the complexity and variability of modern cyber attacks. Some experts argue that attackers often use non-linear methods, such as pivoting and moving laterally, which may not fit neatly into the Cyber Kill Chain stages.
Additionally, some critics argue that the Cyber Kill Chain puts too much emphasis on prevention and not enough on detection and response. In today's threat landscape, it is important to not only try to prevent attacks but also have effective detection and response measures in place to quickly detect and respond to attacks that are able to bypass prevention measures.
Another limitation of the Cyber Kill Chain is that it assumes that all attacks follow a set sequence of stages, which may not always be the case. Attackers may also use different methods and tools at each stage, making it more difficult to detect and prevent their activities.
Despite these critiques, the Cyber Kill Chain model is still widely used in the cybersecurity industry as a tool for understanding and preventing cyber attacks. However, it is important to recognize its limitations and adapt it to the specific needs and challenges of an organization.
In conclusion, the Cyber Kill Chain framework is a valuable tool widely used by cybersecurity professionals and organisations to understand the different stages of a cyber attack. It consists of stages including reconnaissance, weaponisation, delivery, exploitation, installation, command and control, and actions on objectives.
To defend against cyber attacks, network security defenses are designed around the stages of the Cyber Kill Chain framework. This framework helps to identify attack indicators at each stage, determine the security tools needed to detect those indicators, and identify gaps in a company's ability to detect an attack.
Lockheed Martin believes that by comprehending the kill chain's steps, they were able to set up defensive barriers, slow down the attack, and finally stop the loss of data.
In addition to technical solutions like intrusion detection systems and internal proxy servers, ongoing employee training and awareness campaigns are crucial to promoting a culture of cyber security. It's also important to recognise that cyber security is a continuous process that requires ongoing risk assessments and improvements to defenses.
Finally, by staying vigilant and employing a range of security measures, organisations can stay ahead of the constantly evolving threat landscape and protect themselves from cyber attacks.
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