Deception: Tricking Hackers to Secure Your Network

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Deception: Comparison with Hackers on Their Ground

“We pay hackers their own coin by using the same defenses and techniques that malware uses against computer systems by modeling the attackers’ decision-making process.”

Introduction to Deception

Deception is a proactive cybersecurity approach that uses traps or decoys to trick attackers into revealing their presence. By transforming the computer system into a minefield of digital traps, Deception disrupts the decision-making process of attackers, exposing their tactics, techniques and procedures.

One of the leading Deception service providers is Secure Online Desktop. This company offers an Active Defense Deception solution that provides a highly interactive deception network designed to deceive and detect attackers.

The Secure Online Desktop Active Defense Deception Service

Secure Online Desktop’s Active Defense Deception service creates a simulated network environment that tricks attackers into thinking they have compromised a system. This environment consists of a variety of digital “decoys” or “decoys” that simulate real computer systems.

The Secure Online Desktop solution also uses advanced deception techniques such as the use of fake credentials to lure attackers into traps. In addition, the service continuously monitors the network environment for any suspicious or abnormal activity. When an attack is detected, the system sends a real-time alert, providing details about the attacker and his tactics.

Deception in the Killchain: An Approach Based on the MITER Framework

Deception can be integrated into any stage of the killchain, as described in the MITER ATT&CK Framework.

First, in the “Reconnaissance” phase, Deception traps can feed false information to attackers, confusing their preliminary research. Later, during the “Weaponization” and “Delivery” phases, traps can simulate apparent vulnerabilities to attract attackers.

In the “Exploitation” and “Installation” phase, the attacker, thinking he has been successful, may try to install malware or perform other malicious actions, further revealing his intentions and tactics. Finally, during the “Command & Control” and “Actions on Objectives” phases, the deceiver can continue to monitor the attacker’s activity, providing valuable information to prevent future attacks.

Practical Cases of Success of Deception

Deception has proven to be effective in various real-world scenarios. Here are some examples:

1. TrapX Security ↗: TrapX used Deception to stop a hospital ransomware attack. The attackers had been fooled by digital traps, allowing the security team to isolate and neutralize the threat.
2. Illusive Networks ↗: Illusive used Deception to help a banking organization prevent a data theft. The attackers had attempted to access fake credentials, revealing their presence and allowing the security team to block the attack.
3. Acalvio ↗: Acalvio ha utilizzato la Deception per bloccare un attacco di spear phishing in un’organizzazione di energia. The digital traps fooled the attackers, allowing the security team to identify and stop the attack.

The Integration of Deception with SOC Services

The Active Defense Detection service of the Secure Online Desktop can be combined with the services of a Security Operations Center (SOC) to further increase network security. A SOC provides a team of security experts who constantly monitor the network to detect and respond to any threats.

Integrating Deception with a SOC allows information gleaned from digital traps to be combined with other sources of security data to provide a more complete view of network activity. Additionally, the information collected by the Deception can be used to improve the detection and response capabilities of the SOC.

For example, if a trap detects an attack, the SOC can quickly isolate the affected part of the network and take steps to neutralize the threat. At the same time, the information about the attack can be used to update the SOC’s detection signatures and improve its ability to detect similar attacks in the future.

Conclusion

Deception represents a step forward in the fight against cyber attacks. With its ability to deceive attackers, monitor their actions, and provide valuable insight into their tactics, deception can be a key element of an effective cyber defense strategy.

Using Secure Online Desktop’s Active Defense Detection service, combined with a SOC, can provide an unprecedented level of security, protecting your network from increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks.

Useful links:

• Use cases of a SOCaaS for companies part 1
• Privacy
• Two ways to implement your BaaS (Backup as a Service)
• Acronis Cyber Cloud 7.9 is finally available Backup and protection against cryptocurrency mining for G Suite