🐡 State-Sponsored Hacking - The hidden ghosts of advanced persistent threats (APTs)
👻 Hidden ghosts behind APTs
Ⓜ️ MITRE ATT&CK Framework: Spotlight on APT Groups
🐻 Cozy Bear, Wicked Panda, Charming Kitten
We may think of hacker groups as a bunch of computer whizzes operating with absolute secrecy to evade authorities. What happens when the Government authorities support these groups to carry out military and intelligence operations? This week's discuss nation-state sponsored hackers, including their motivations, tactics, and objectives. We'll talk about how hackers align with their governments.
👻 Hidden ghosts behind APTs
Nation-state sponsored hackers are individuals or groups that carry out cyber attacks and hacking activities with the direct support, funding, or authorization of a national government. These hackers have several benefits, including access to advanced tools and techniques, exceptional technical skills and knowledge, operational cover, support for national objectives, specialized training, career opportunities, access to sensitive information, and a sense of patriotic duty.
Nation-state sponsored hacking groups differ from other hacking groups in several ways. Their motivations and objectives are often driven by geopolitics, national security, and advancing their country's interests. They operate with substantial resources, and have the backing of a nation's government. They tend to target specific organizations, industries, or governments that align with their strategic interests. They are highly skilled and capable of executing complex, multi-stage attacks, utilizing advanced malware, zero-day exploits, and stealthy techniques to evade detection and maintain access to compromised systems for extended periods.
Nation-state sponsored hackers operate with direct support, funding, or authorization from a national government, often as an extension of a country's intelligence or military agencies. Governments may grant these hackers immunity, viewing their activities as critical for national security or intelligence gathering. Attribution can be complex due to the use of false flags, proxies, and obfuscation techniques. The enforcement mechanisms for cyber attacks are limited, making it challenging to hold governments accountable for the actions of their hacking groups.
Ⓜ️ MITRE ATT&CK Framework: Spotlight on APT Groups
The MITRE ATT&CK (Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Common Knowledge) framework is a globally-recognized knowledge base used to describe the actions and behaviors of cyber adversaries. Created by MITRE Corporation, this framework helps cybersecurity professionals understand the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that threat actors use to compromise and operate within networks.
A unique aspect of the MITRE ATT&CK framework is its detailed profiling of known Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups. APT groups are organized, often state-sponsored, cyber adversaries that engage in prolonged cyber espionage or cyberattack campaigns. By profiling these groups, the ATT&CK framework provides in-depth information about their specific modus operandi, past campaigns, attributed actions, and associated malware. This detailed information assists cybersecurity teams in detecting, mitigating, and responding to threats, especially those posed by sophisticated actors like APTs. In essence, by understanding the enemy, security professionals can better defend their digital assets against them.
Groups | MITRE ATT&CK®
MITRE ATT&CK® is a globally-accessible knowledge base of adversary tactics and techniques based on real-world observations. The ATT&CK knowledge base is used as a foundation for the development of specific threat models and methodologies in the private sector, in government, and in the cybersecurity product and service community.
🐻 Cozy Bear, Wicked Panda, Charming Kitten
Here are some groups with creative names given by threat research companies. This helps in familiarizing the different APTs out there, and associating them with nation-states.
Wicked Panda, APT 41 (China)
Chinese state-sponsored that has financially motivated targets in healthcare, telecom, technology, and video game industries in 14 countries.
Charming Kitten APT35 (Iran)
Malware, Phishing, Social Media
Fancy Bear APT 28 (Russia)
Thought to be a Russian Military Operation
Democratic National Committee (2016)
Hilaryclinton.com
International Olympic Committee
Cozy Bear APT 29 (Russia)
Considered a proxy for Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR)
SolarWinds hack
Lazarus Group (North Korea)
Associated groups: Hidden Cobra, Guardians of Peace
Cryptocurrency theft, Nuclear Energy
Vanguard Panda (China)
Volt Typhoon hack - Cyber-espionage targetting critical infrastructure on Guam