Playbook Objectives:
- To demonstrate the effectiveness of application micro-segmentation in implementing a robust Zero Trust security model.
- To test the company’s cybersecurity defenses against a targeted and sophisticated attack scenario, where an insider threat or an advanced persistent threat (APT) group tries to move laterally within the network.
- To validate the proper implementation of micro-segmentation policies and ensure that security controls are effective in isolating applications and preventing unauthorized access.
- To optimize incident response procedures and develop actionable response strategies for real-world attack mitigation.
- To enhance security team skills in identifying, containing, and neutralizing threats within a segmented network architecture.
Difficulty Level:
- Advanced: This exercise is intended for security teams with a strong understanding of network segmentation, Zero Trust architectures, and advanced threat tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
Scenario:
- A financial services company, FinSecure Inc., with a large customer base and substantial assets under management, is about to undergo a Cyber Range exercise to enhance its security posture.
- FinSecure Inc. has recently transitioned to a cloud-based infrastructure and implemented a Zero Trust model to strengthen its cybersecurity defenses.
- The company’s network consists of various critical systems, including transaction processing, customer data storage, and internal communication platforms.
- The security team is made up of seasoned professionals, led by CISO Ava Robertson, and includes security analysts, network architects, and incident responders.
- In light of recent attacks on similar institutions, the FinSecure board of directors has mandated a comprehensive security review to avert any potential breaches that could undermine the company’s reputation and financial stability.
Category:
- Cybersecurity / Zero Trust Security / Network Segmentation
Exercise Attack Steps:
- The attack scenario begins with a phishing email sent to a group of FinSecure employees, one of whom is a system administrator named John Marshall.
- The phishing email is designed to trick John into downloading a malware-laden document that, when opened, executes a payload to establish a backdoor on his workstation.
- Upon establishing the backdoor, the attackers leverage John’s elevated access to try to explore the network and move laterally in search of valuable data.
- The exercise monitors the simulation of the attacker’s actions using unauthorized credential use and potential exploitation of network vulnerabilities.
- Throughout the exercise, automated security tools and the security team will be on the lookout for signs of the unauthorized lateral movement facilitated by application micro-segmentation policies.
- The team will be tasked with quickly identifying the breach, isolating the compromised system, and containing the threat within the IT environment as regulated by the Zero Trust principles.
- The exercise further includes steps to analyze logs, detect anomalies, and adapt the network’s segmentation policies to mitigate the impact of similar future incidents.
- The team proceeds to eradicate the threat, restore any affected systems, and then goes through a post-mortem analysis to improve policies and response tactics.
- Finally, the exercise concludes with a review of the end-to-end response, from detection to recovery, bolstering the organization’s security playbook for real-world applications of Zero Trust architecture and micro-segmentation.
