The MITRE ATT&CK framework (Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Common Knowledge) is a knowledge base used for describing the actions and behavior of cyber adversaries. It's essentially a detailed map of the life cycle of cyberattacks, outlining the different ways attackers can seek to compromise, exploit, and damage IT environments.

The key components of the MITRE ATT&CK Framework are:

  1. Tactics: These represent the "why" of an attack – the adversary's objective. Tactics correspond to different phases of an adversary's attack lifecycle, such as initial access, persistence, execution, privilege escalation, defense evasion, credential access, discovery, lateral movement, exfiltration, collection, and impact.
  2. Techniques: These represent "how" an adversary achieves their tactic objective. For each tactic, there are multiple techniques that could be employed. For instance, under the tactic "initial access," techniques might include spear-phishing via email, exploiting public-facing applications, or using valid accounts.
  3. Sub-techniques: These are variations or more specific forms of techniques. They provide an even more detailed view of how an adversary might achieve their objective.
  4. Procedures: These are the specific ways in which adversaries implement the techniques. They can be thought of as real-world examples or case studies of techniques in action.
  5. Mitigations: These are recommendations to counteract or reduce the impact of a technique. For each technique listed, the framework provides potential mitigations to help security professionals better defend their systems.
  6. Detection: For each technique or sub-technique, there's also advice on how one might detect that it's happening or has happened.

Benefits of the MITRE ATT&CK Framework

Threat Modeling

Organizations can use the framework to more thoroughly understand potential threat scenarios against their infrastructure.

Enhanced Incident Response

By aligning real-world incidents to the ATT&CK matrix, responders can have a structured way to categorize and respond to threats.

Improved Red and Blue Teaming

The matrix can be used for emulating adversarial behaviors (red teaming) and enhancing detection capabilities (blue teaming).

Security Posture Assessment

Organizations can evaluate their defensive measures against the listed techniques to find potential areas of improvement.
MITRE ATTACK Framework

How Does the MITRE ATT&CK Framework Help Enterprises?

The MITRE ATT&CK Framework, when paired with a comprehensive cybersecurity platform, helps enterprises to create their approach to cyber threats and breaches using proven methods and workflows. By investigating the early-stage tactics used by adversaries, enterprises can mitigate attacks more efficiently and effectively to ensure their networks remain secure.

NETSCOUT & MITRE ATT&CK Framework

NETSCOUT’S Omnis Cyber Intelligence (OCI) and Omnis CyberStream form a comprehensive, cost-effective, highly scalable NDR solution that easily integrates with popular Security Incident and Event Management (SIEM) platforms, such as Splunk. This empowers the solution to effectively coordinate with existing security stacks, allowing enterprises to improve their security defenses while addressing several tactics outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework.

MITRE ATT&CK Tactics Addressed by OCI

Omnis Cyber Intelligence and CyberStream address several tactics in the MITRE ATT&CK Framework. Here are the 9 tactical categories addressed by OCI:

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MITRE ATT&CK Reconnaissance

MITRE ATT&CK's "Reconnaissance" refers to the techniques used by adversaries to gather information that can be exploited for a malicious operation. Before launching a cyberattack, an adversary will typically seek details about the target's systems, networks, applications, and users. This helps in creating more effective infiltration and exploitation strategies. This is a pre-attack phase that might involve gathering publicly available information, identifying vulnerabilities in web-facing applications, or mapping out network architectures, among other activities. Reconnaissance is often the first step in the cyberattack lifecycle, laying the foundation for subsequent exploitation and post-compromise activities.

Learn about MITRE ATT&CK Reconnaissance.

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MITRE ATT&CK Resource Development

MITRE ATT&CK's "Resource Development" refers to the activities adversaries undertake to generate resources they require for effective operations within target environments. These resources can range from establishing robust infrastructure (like command and control servers), acquiring and creating malicious tools, or even developing capabilities like accounts that help them maintain a foothold in compromised systems. Understanding resource development tactics helps defenders gain insights into an adversary's preparation stage. This helps to identify potential malicious activities before any actual compromise or damage occurs.

Learn about MITRE ATT&CK Resource Development.

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MITRE ATT&CK Initial Access

MITRE ATT&CK's "Initial Access" refers to the tactics adversaries employ to gain an entry point into a target system or network. This initial foothold is crucial for attackers as it paves the way for subsequent exploitation and maneuvering within an environment. Methods of initial access can vary widely and include tactics like spear-phishing emails, exploiting public-facing applications, using legitimate credentials, or even hardware-based techniques. Recognizing and defending against these initial access methods is vital because thwarting an adversary at this early stage can prevent a broader and potentially more damaging compromise of the environment.

Learn about MITRE ATT&CK Initial Access.

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MITRE ATT&CK Persistence

MITRE ATT&CK's "Persistence" refers to the techniques that adversaries use to maintain their foothold within a system or network over prolonged periods, even in the face of system restarts, credential changes, or other disruptions. Persistence ensures that attackers can reestablish their presence and continue their operations if their initial access to a system is removed. Techniques under this tactic can include creating or modifying system processes, adding registry keys, manipulating scheduled tasks, and several other techniques. These methods aim to keep malicious activities ongoing, making them harder to detect and remove from an infiltrated environment.

Learn about MITRE ATT&CK Persistence.

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MITRE ATT&CK Credential Access

MITRE ATT&CK's "Credential Access" refers to techniques used by adversaries to steal credentials, such as usernames and passwords, to gain unauthorized access and control over systems, applications, and data. These techniques can involve dumping credentials from memory, keylogging, exploiting vulnerabilities, or mimicking legitimate login screens (phishing). Once acquired, these credentials can be leveraged to execute further malicious activities, maintain lateral movement within the network, or escalate privileges. Understanding and monitoring credential access techniques is a crucial component in your cybersecurity defense strategy, as compromised credentials are a common method for attackers to deepen their foothold within an environment.

Learn about MITRE ATT&CK Credential Access.

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MITRE ATT&CK Discovery

MITRE ATT&CK's "Discovery" refers to techniques that adversaries utilize to gain knowledge about the systems and networks they've infiltrated. By understanding the environment—like identifying system and network configurations, running software, account roles, and more—an attacker can make informed decisions on subsequent actions and tailor their strategies to exploit specific vulnerabilities or bypass security measures. Discovery techniques are instrumental for attackers because they allow them to navigate the compromised environment more effectively, evade detection, and ultimately accomplish their goals.

Learn about MITRE ATT&CK Discovery.

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MITRE ATT&CK Lateral Movement

MITRE ATT&CK's "Lateral Movement" refers to the techniques adversaries use to traverse a network, moving from one system to another after gaining initial access, often aiming to reach systems of higher value or specific interest. Lateral movement typically involves actions that allow an attacker to access and control remote systems, leveraging tools and protocols like Remote Desktop, SSH, SMB, and other legitimate tools, or employing malicious tools like Pass-the-Hash or Pass-the-Ticket. This movement helps adversaries advance their objectives, including further data exploitation, establishing persistence, or achieving a more entrenched foothold within a compromised environment.

Learn about MITRE ATT&CK Lateral Movement.

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MITRE ATT&CK Command and Control

MITRE ATT&CK's "Command and Control" refers to the methods that adversaries use to maintain communication with systems they have compromised within a target network. After successfully gaining a foothold in a network, attackers typically set up a command and control (C2) channel to remotely manipulate the compromised system, execute commands, exfiltrate data, and deliver additional payloads. This C2 communication can take various forms, including custom protocols, standard internet protocols, and even mimicking legitimate web traffic. This makes it both a crucial step in the attack lifecycle and a critical area for defenders to monitor and detect to disrupt threat actors.

Learn about MITRE ATT&CK Command and Control.

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MITRE ATT&CK Exfiltration

MITRE ATT&CK's "Exfiltration" refers to the phase in the cyber attack lifecycle where adversaries transfer data, which they have previously collected, outside of a target network. This data could be sensitive information, intellectual property, or other valuable digital assets. Adversaries use various techniques to exfiltrate data while avoiding detection. These techniques include compressing, encrypting, or splitting data into smaller chunks. They also employ specific communication channels like cloud services or covert channels to facilitate the transfer. Properly understanding and monitoring for exfiltration techniques is crucial to safeguarding an organization's critical information.

Learn about MITRE ATT&CK Exfiltration.

Why Is It Important to Cover These Bases?

The tactics adversaries use can be combated with the right cybersecurity stack and capable cyber professionals. Adversaries are clever, and it is up to enterprises to be one step ahead of them to ensure they keep their networks safe and secure. While breaches are an unfortunate, inevitable truth, following the MITRE ATT&CK framework can help you quickly and effectively remove adversaries from your networks to minimize damage.

The MITRE ATT&CK framework stands as a trusted and comprehensive guideline for understanding and countering cyber adversaries' modus operandi. It meticulously catalogs the life cycle of cyberattacks, detailing adversaries' objectives, methodologies, and the varied techniques they might employ at each stage. By integrating this framework with robust cybersecurity solutions like NETSCOUT's Omnis Cyber Intelligence and CyberStream, enterprises can fortify their defenses, anticipate threats, and respond adeptly to potential security breaches. Embracing the MITRE ATT&CK framework isn't just about countering current threats, but about evolving with a constantly changing digital threat landscape. In the high-stakes realm of cybersecurity, staying informed, vigilant, and adaptive with tools like the MITRE ATT&CK can make the difference between a minor setback and a significant breach.