{"id":75993,"date":"2024-03-18T15:03:04","date_gmt":"2024-03-18T07:03:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/version-2.com\/?p=75993"},"modified":"2024-02-28T15:04:52","modified_gmt":"2024-02-28T07:04:52","slug":"what-are-advanced-persistent-threats-apt-and-how-can-you-steer-clear-of-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/version-2.com\/en\/2024\/03\/what-are-advanced-persistent-threats-apt-and-how-can-you-steer-clear-of-them\/","title":{"rendered":"What are advanced persistent threats (APT) and how can you steer clear of them?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cyberattacks are not all one-and-done deals. Some cybercriminals prefer to play the long game \u2013 they lurk and gather information over time before dealing the massive final blow. Advanced persistent threats (APT), our topic today, are exactly such long ploys \u2013 they\u2019re used to infiltrate a device and slowly collect its most sensitive data.<\/p><\/div>

Falling victim to prolonged attack campaigns can be detrimental to a business, so it\u2019s crucial to know the most effective defenses against them. Let\u2019s look at how advanced persistent threats work, how they differ from other cyberattacks, and what you can do to keep your company safe.<\/p>

Advanced persistent threat lifecycle<\/h2>

Unlike malware, phishing emails, or other dangers lurking online, an advanced persistent threat isn\u2019t a single tool or action. The term describes a series of processes that include the infiltration and extraction of sensitive information from a device or a system. Its scale means that catching advanced persistent threats is a delicate process, and they may go unnoticed until it\u2019s too late.<\/p>

Given the intricate nature of APTs and the complexity of their execution, these tactics are usually used by more experienced cybercriminals. Governments, law firms, and financial institutions are particularly popular targets as they handle highly valuable confidential data. The attackers tend to go after classified personal and financial information, intellectual property, patents, and other data that may be used for blackmail or ransom. Motives behind APTs include espionage<\/a> and cyber warfare<\/a>.<\/p>

Advanced persistent threats require a lot of preparations ahead of the true strike. The attackers must first establish their targets and research them thoroughly, learning both about the organization\u2019s internal structure and the employees. The preparation stage helps find the target\u2019s weak links, such as poor password policies, insufficient on-site security, or outdated software use.<\/p>

Once the background information is gathered, testing begins. The attackers want to ensure they enter and leave the system with the stolen data unnoticed, and they must go through trial and error to succeed. This thorough preparation makes advanced persistent threats stand out as some of the most sophisticated attacks, requiring expert teams to dismantle them and prevent or undo the damages. The execution itself consists of three advanced persistent threat steps.<\/p>

Once the background work is done and the test runs have succeeded, cybercriminals initiate the first stage of the lifecycle \u2013 infiltration<\/b>. Depending on the nature of the attack, they can infiltrate the system in different ways. Phishing to acquire employees’ login credentials is a common strategy, as is using malicious email attachments that infect the system once downloaded and opened. Regardless of the actual strategy, the goal is to breach the defense systems and weaken the security measures in place.<\/p>

As soon as the hackers have established their presence in the now-infected system, it\u2019s time for them to settle in and spread their roots. This step is usually known as escalation<\/b> \u2013 a crucial stage for gathering intel and inching to the much-desired data. As they escalate, cybercriminals will acquire employee credentials, override security protocols, and establish backdoors to enter and exit the systems unnoticed, even if their key operation is compromised. They can attempt to reuse the backdoors in the future after evolving their tactics and striking the system again.<\/p>

With the jackpot uncovered and the valuable data gathered, attackers can start the final phase of their operation \u2013 extraction<\/b>. The backdoors from step two can be advantageous here, as the goal is to exfiltrate all the stolen information undetected. The biggest challenge here is distracting any uncompromised security systems. To achieve this, cybercriminals may rely on code obfuscation \u2013 creating a code that\u2019s difficult for humans and computers to understand and disassemble \u2013 or distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks<\/a>.<\/p>

How do APTs differ from other threats?<\/h3>

The hint is in the name here \u2013 advanced persistent threats aren\u2019t crafted like viruses you can easily quarantine. Instead, they\u2019re deeply hidden in the system, quietly combining several threats that would be a challenge to contain on their own to maximize the damage. They\u2019re not quite the \u201cmother of all threats,\u201d but they\u2019re certainly close \u2013 especially for small-scale companies that can be eroded from within by tactics that APT attackers employ.<\/p>

Advanced persistent threats combine the worst that cyber criminals have to offer, all packaged into one \u2013 Trojan viruses infiltrating the systems, denial of service attacks to distract the security team, and mass phishing campaigns to get hold of as many login credentials as possible. One such attack could cause irreparable harm to a company, while the whole package is a destructive force. Worst of all, the amount of work put into every stage of the APT lifecycle means they\u2019re difficult to detect, and the damage is harder to undo.<\/p>

What tactics are employed in an APT attack?<\/h2>

As we\u2019ve established, the process of setting up and executing is complex and multifaceted. Different stages of the process employ different tactics to optimize the potential retrieval of data and exploit as many blind spots as possible. The goal is to simultaneously overwhelm the system\u2019s security measures and pass through them undetected. Common tactics used during an advanced persistent threat attack include:<\/p>