A guide to advanced persistent threats (APTs), a highly sophisticated, highly destructive form of cyber attack.

What is an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)?

“Advanced persistent threat” is a broad term used to describe a cyber attack where hackers covertly gain access to a system and remain inside it, undetected, for a significant period of time and to achieve a specific goal. Perhaps the most well-known example of an APT is the Stuxnet virus, which infected the Natanz uranium enrichment plant in Iran, slowly, silently, and gradually destroying centrifuges over a long period of time.

APTs are highly sophisticated, and the targets are carefully selected and thoroughly researched. They require significant financial resources and the participation of a group of skilled, experienced hackers, so they are usually launched by nation-states or very large organizations. The targets are generally government institutions, critical infrastructure, or very large private-sector enterprises.

The goal of an APT is usually cyberespionage: the theft of valuable intellectual property, sensitive data or communications or, in the case of a government target, classified information. APTs can also be used to steal cash from financial targets, execute full system takeovers or, as in the Stuxnet attack, damage or destroy systems or critical infrastructure.

Characteristics of an Advanced Persistent Threat

What makes an APT different from other cyber attacks?

• They are custom-tailored to be used against a specific organization for a specific purpose. Most attacks employ malware and methods that work pretty much the same way regardless of who the target is. APTs are designed from the ground-up.
• They’re not automated. An APT requires a lot of manual work.
• They’re not “hit and run” attacks; they unfold slowly, over an extended period. Once they infiltrate a system, hackers remain hidden inside, first carefully mapping the system and expanding their footprint, then exfiltrating as much data or doing as much damage as possible.

Advanced persistent threats unfold in stages:

Initial reconnaissance: A target is selected, and the goals of the APT are determined. A team with the appropriate skills is put together, and the target is researched to determine its strengths and weaknesses and to gather information for use in social engineering schemes. An initial infiltration plan is developed.

Infiltration: The target is compromised using malicious uploads, phishing or other social engineering schemes, and/or SQL or RFI injections. To distract security personnel and further weaken defenses, hackers may simultaneously launch a DDoS or another “smokescreen” attack.

Mapping and expansion: Once inside, hackers install a backdoor Trojan to ensure uninterrupted, covert system access. They poke around, exploring the system, mapping its infrastructure, locating the target, and determining the best way of getting to it. They will look for other vulnerabilities that can be exploited and to compromise employees with appropriate access levels.

Exfiltration/execution: The data theft or system damage commences. During the exfiltration process, they may employ another smokescreen to cover their tracks. Multiple attacks/thefts are conducted over a long period.

Detecting & Preventing Advanced Persistent Threats

By their nature, APTs are exceedingly difficult to detect; hackers go to great lengths to cover their tracks and use sophisticated, next-generation malware that evades antivirus software. Warning signs of an APT include:

• An increase in logins late at night or at other unusual hours. Hackers may be hoping to access the system at times when no one is around.
• Unexpected data bundles. Hackers often steal data piecemeal, storing it in another part of the system until they have amassed enough to exfiltrate it.
• Large data flows, to other parts of the system or to external sources, that significantly deviate from the norm.
• Lots of backdoor Trojans.
• Spear phishing attacks aimed at high-level employees. This is a red flag that an APT is being planned or is already underway.

Visibility across the enterprise IT environment, including the network and all endpoints, is key to preventing advanced persistent threats. Enterprise networks must be continuously monitored to establish a baseline for system activity and enable security personnel to detect aberrations from that norm. Other preventative measures include:

• Keeping all systems and software up-to-date.
• Filtering incoming emails.
• Improving endpoint security using methods such as 2FA and VPNs.
• Protecting web applications against attacks such as XSS and SQL injections.
• Training employees on basic cyber hygiene, including how to spot phishing and other social engineering schemes.

The cyber security experts at Lazarus Alliance have deep knowledge of the cyber security field, are continually monitoring the latest information security threats, and are committed to protecting organizations of all sizes from security breaches. Our full-service risk assessment services and Continuum GRC RegTech software will help protect your organization from data breaches, ransomware attacks, and other cyber threats.

Lazarus Alliance is proactive cyber security®. Call 1-888-896-7580 to discuss your organization’s cyber security needs and find out how we can help your organization adhere to cyber security regulations, maintain compliance, and secure your systems.

As the popularity of medical IoT devices grows, so do security vulnerabilities.

There are more connected devices than there are humans on Earth. Organizations have been as quick to embrace the Internet of Things as consumers have, and the healthcare industry is no exception. Medical IoT devices have exploded in popularity and grown in complexity. Smart medical devices allow physicians to make more accurate diagnoses and better monitor their patients, leading to better quality of care. However, the proliferation of medical IoT has given hackers a much broader attack surface on which to target healthcare organizations.

The IoT industry, including the medical IoT market, is still a Wild West, with few regulations and no common set of security standards. Recognizing the dangers posed to healthcare facilities, providers, and patients, the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) used a questionnaire-based risk assessment to analyze the cyber security risk factors of smart infusion pumps. Using these results, the NCCoE developed an example implementation that demonstrates how healthcare organizations can use standards-based, commercially available cyber security technologies to better secure infusion pumps. NIST has released these guidelines as SP 1800-8, “Securing Wireless Infusion Pumps.”

While SP 1800-8 specifically addresses infusion pumps, the guidelines can be applied to the entire medical IoT ecosystem, which NIST calls the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT).

What Are the Risks?

Computerized medical devices have been around for some time, but they were standalone machines that did not connect to the internet; only physicians could access them. Today’s smart medical devices not only connect to the internet; they are also networked with a multitude of other smart devices and networks, including systems for non-clinical applications such as billing. While all of this connectivity improves healthcare delivery, it also poses serious cyber security risks, not just to the patient but the entire healthcare enterprise. Among other things, malicious actors can access medical IoT devices to:

• Alter the operation of the device itself, including tampering with medication dosages or other settings.
• Launch ransomware attacks on medical IoT devices; for example, a hacker can begin draining an implanted device’s battery and demand that the patient or the provider pay a ransom to make them stop.
• Access electronic health records (EHR), billing systems, or other mission-critical enterprise systems (such as scheduling or inventory management) and steal or alter data, or lock down the entire system with ransomware.

In addition to putting patients’ health and lives at risk, cyber attacks on smart medical devices can expose healthcare organizations to HIPAA violations, civil lawsuits, and irrevocable damage to their reputations.

Using NIST SP 1800-8

NIST SP 1800-8 is modular; it can be used in whole or in part. It is assumed that readers already have cyber security protocols in place and will use the guide to assess vulnerabilities specific to their medical IoT device ecosystems. The guide aims to help healthcare organizations protect both their medical IoT devices and the rest of their enterprise network. It identifies the threats, vulnerabilities, and risks inherent to wireless infusion pumps (which mirror the issues with other smart medical devices), including:

• Targeted attacks
• Malware infections
• Physical theft of the devices themselves
• User or administrator accounts vulnerabilities
• IT network infrastructure vulnerabilities
• Improper third-party vendor connections
• Vulnerabilities in systems or devices that are connected to the smart medical device

The guide maps security characteristics to standards and best practices from NIST and other standards organizations, including NIST RMF and NIST 800-53, as well as the HIPAA Security Rule. A cyber security firm that is experienced with both NIST and HIPAA, such as Lazarus Alliance, can help your organization get the most of NIST SP 1800-8.

The cyber security experts at Lazarus Alliance have deep knowledge of the cyber security field, are continually monitoring the latest information security threats, and are committed to protecting organizations of all sizes from security breaches. Our full-service risk assessment services and Continuum GRC RegTech software will help protect your organization from data breaches, ransomware attacks, and other cyber threats.

Lazarus Alliance is proactive cyber security®. Call 1-888-896-7580 to discuss your organization’s cyber security needs and find out how we can help your organization adhere to cyber security regulations, maintain compliance, and secure your systems.

Cyber security is key to a sustainable, future-proof digital transformation

The rise of ecommerce, particularly mobile ecommerce, has fundamentally altered both consumer and business buying habits. Organizations are embracing digital transformation in an effort to appease modern buyers and enhance the customer experience while cutting costs and improving efficiency. The 2018 State of Digital Business Transformation survey by IDG found that 89% of organizations have either adopted or plan to adopt a digital-first strategy.

While cutting-edge technologies such as the IoT and IIoT, cloud computing and multi-cloud networks, and low-code platforms provide great benefits to organizations and their customers, they also gift cyber criminals a much larger attack surface. Today’s hackers are more skilled, educated, and well-funded than ever, and the attacks they launch are highly organized, complex and, if successful, destructive. In a survey of IT business leaders by Frost & Sullivan, respondents listed cyber security as their top challenge to navigating digital transformation.

Despite these concerns, too many organizations still view cyber security as an afterthought at best, a stumbling block to innovation at worst. Security can get pushed to the wayside in the rush to implement the day’s newest, shiniest technologies. However, digital transformation isn’t supposed to focus on what’s hip and trendy now; the goal is to ensure that your organization is prepared not just for today’s trends but tomorrow’s opportunities through implementing sustainable, future-proof solutions, and cyber security plays a critical role in this process. Here are a few best practices for integrating cyber security into your digital transformation plans.

Integrate Cyber Security from the Beginning

Digital transformation involves implementing new technology and finding new uses for existing technology. However, application security is often addressed very late in the software development lifecycle (SDLC). Three-quarters of security and IT professionals surveyed by Dimensional Research felt that security was addressed “too late in the [development] process, and [applications] must be retrofitted after key decisions have been made.”

Attempting to secure an application late in the SDLC makes the entire process more complex, resulting in delays, budget overruns, or possibly even a failed project. Cyber security should be baked into the SDLC of every digital transformation initiative from the beginning so that potential risks can be identified and addressed early on, and applications can be patched as new cyber threats emerge post-deployment.

Involve Your Security Team in All Important Decisions

Often, cyber security personnel are not included in marketing or business meetings, even though critical decisions are made that impact the technical aspects of the digital transformation initiative. Worse, the security team may not be included in IT meetings or involved in the project at all; only 18% of respondents to the Dimensional Research study reported cyber security personnel being involved in all digital transformation initiatives.

If security personnel are not present to provide input at critical junctures of the project, the end result could be an application that is riddled with security holes. Instead of having security experts swoop in only after an attack has occurred, organizations should take a proactive approach, involve their security teams in all project meetings and decisions, and prevent attacks from happening in the first place.

Don’t Forget the Human Factor

The weakest link in any organization’s cyber security is its own people. Often, organizations lean too heavily on technology to defend against cyber attacks, train only their IT staff on cyber security best practices, or both. Every employee who touches a computer must be trained on cyber security best practices, and the organization must adopt a security-first culture on all levels, from the C-suite down to the reception desk. The human factor is also another reason to involve security at all junctures of a digital transformation initiative; one aspect of secure development is to design applications in such a way as to limit the ability of human error or malicious acts to open up the system to cyber attacks.

Integrating proactive cyber security into digital transformation efforts from the very beginning and creating a security-first culture on all levels of the organization doesn’t just protect against hacks; it also ensures that digital transformation efforts are sustainable and future-proof.

The cyber security experts at Lazarus Alliance have deep knowledge of the cyber security field, are continually monitoring the latest information security threats, and are committed to protecting organizations of all sizes from security breaches. Our full-service risk assessment services and Continuum GRC RegTech software will help protect your organization from data breaches, ransomware attacks, and other cyber threats.

Lazarus Alliance is proactive cyber security®. Call 1-888-896-7580 to discuss your organization’s cyber security needs and find out how we can help your organization adhere to cyber security regulations, maintain compliance, and secure your systems.