Unlocking Cybersecurity: Harnessing the Power of Identity Management to Defeat APT Attacks

Dark Reading News Desk Interview Reveals Shifting Landscape of APT Groups

Russia’s Disruptions Continue as Chinese APT Groups Gain Momentum

The recent interview conducted by Dark Reading News Desk with Adam Meyers, head of counter adversary operations for CrowdStrike at Black Hat USA 2023, shed light on the evolving landscape of advanced persistent threat (APT) groups. Meyers highlighted the growing concern over Russia’s disruptions as well as the rise of Chinese APT groups.

According to Meyers, while the cybersecurity community was focused on the actions of Russian APT groups during the conflict in Ukraine, Chinese APT groups were quietly establishing a massive data-collection effort. This shift in attention provided cover for the Chinese government and associated APT groups to carry out their own cyber operations without drawing significant scrutiny. Meyers emphasized that China’s motivations lie in building influence and gaining intellectual property through a range of programs focused on growing their economy, particularly in sectors such as healthcare.

The Motivations and Actions of Chinese APT Groups

China’s APT groups operate with the goal of collecting vast amounts of data in order to support their economic development and influence-building programs. Meyers pointed out that China’s Five-Year Plans and initiatives like “Made in China 2025” and the Belt and Road Initiative are geared towards developing their domestic market and expanding their influence in the Asia Pacific region. By targeting sectors like healthcare, which are critical as China grapples with the challenges of a growing middle class, they aim to source and develop domestic-equivalent products to reduce reliance on the West.

The strategic objective of Chinese APT groups is to position themselves as innovators by leveraging cyber operations to steal state-of-the-art technologies and replicate them for further innovation. Meyers highlighted China’s focus on artificial intelligence (AI), healthcare, and chip manufacturing as key areas where they are operationalizing the intelligence they collect. This concerted effort is an attempt to shed the perception of China being the world’s workshop and become a global leader in innovation.

The Disruptive Nature of North Korean APT Groups

Meyers also discussed the motivations and actions of North Korean APT groups, whose primary emphasis is on generating revenue. These groups not only engage in political intelligence collection but also target intellectual property and pursue revenue-generating activities. North Korea has launched the National Economic Development Strategy (NEDS), which focuses on industries such as energy, mining, agriculture, and heavy machinery to bolster their economy. North Korean APT groups seek data related to renewable energy, reliable power sources, and revenue generation strategies. They engage in activities such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and cybercrime to generate income, especially since they have been cut off from the international financial systems.

Iranian APT Groups: Disruption Masked as Ransomware

Iranian APT groups deploy fake personas to target their enemies and engage in disruptive cyber campaigns. Though these campaigns may appear as ransomware attacks, their primary objective is to cause disruption and collect sensitive information from targeted organizations. By undermining trust in political organizations and companies, Iranian APT groups aim to weaken their adversaries’ resolve.

Diverse Attack Strategies and Vulnerabilities Exploited by APT Groups

Meyers discussed the prevalent attack strategies being employed by APT groups, noting a recent trend of targeting network appliances and devices exposed to various cloud systems. He emphasized that APT groups, as well as ransomware groups, rely heavily on exploiting legitimate credentials to gain entry into networks. Ransomware attacks, in particular, have been seen to target hypervisors that cannot be protected by traditional backup and recovery tools, effectively crippling organizations.

Predictions for the Future of APT Groups

Looking ahead, Meyers predicts that APT groups will continue evolving the vulnerability landscape, with China maintaining a focus on intelligence collection and disruption. As an important area of concern, he emphasized the need for organizations to prioritize identity management due to the increasing speed and sophistication of APT group attacks. Meyers cited breakout times, which measure the time taken for an attacker to move from initial access to another system in the targeted environment, as a critical metric. Protecting identities, not just endpoints, is crucial to mitigating the risks posed by APT groups.

Advice for Organizations and the Larger Cybersecurity Community

The insights provided by Meyers underscore the ever-evolving threat landscape posed by APT groups. Organizations must remain vigilant and proactive in their cybersecurity measures to effectively mitigate the risks associated with these groups. Implementing robust identity management practices, such as multi-factor authentication, role-based access controls, and ongoing monitoring of user behavior, can help protect against attacks that leverage legitimate credentials.

For the larger cybersecurity community, it is important to stay updated on the latest tactics, techniques, and procedures employed by APT groups. Sharing threat intelligence and collaborating with industry peers, government agencies, and cybersecurity vendors can enhance collective defenses and response capabilities against these sophisticated adversaries.

Furthermore, policymakers and international organizations should address the global implications of APT group activities. Efforts must be made to establish norms, regulations, and mechanisms to hold nations accountable for their state-sponsored cyber activities. This includes transparency and cooperation in disclosing APT group operations, sharing attribution evidence, and imposing consequences on nations that engage in malicious cyber behavior.

In conclusion, the interview with Adam Meyers highlights the dynamic nature of APT groups and their evolving strategies. The cybersecurity community must remain informed, adaptive, and resilient to effectively counter these malicious actors. By investing in strong identity management practices, collaborative information sharing, and international cooperation, we can bolster our defenses and mitigate the risks posed by APT groups.