Attivo Networks Tightens Detection Net on Attacker Lateral Movement

Innovations in deception technology aim to lock down endpoints so attackers can't advance.

July 31, 2019

4 Min Read

PRESS RELEASE

FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Attivo Networks®, the award-winning leader in deception for cyber security threat detection, today announced significant portfolio enhancements that effectively lock down the endpoint so that attackers cannot advance their attacks. These innovations include securing Active Directory and the ability to turn every endpoint into a network decoy.

Attivo Networks will demonstrate its ThreatDefend offerings at Black Hat USA 2019 in Las Vegas, Aug. 3-8 at booth #1300.

The company’s ThreatDefend Detection Platform provides a comprehensive deception fabric that interweaves decoys, lures, and breadcrumbs throughout the network. By blending in seamlessly with the production environment, the deception fabric sets landmines and bait to derail attackers and alert on their presence. These new ThreatDefend offerings go one material step further by creating a deception blanket over the endpoint so that regardless of the attack method a cybercriminal chooses, they cannot bypass or avoid detection.

“Deception has been highly successful in casting a net over the network to snare adversaries,” said Srikant Vissamsetti, senior vice president of engineering at Attivo Networks. “We have now tightened the net so that there is no way for an attacker to be able to get through. With the traditional perimeter’s disintegration and the increased need to secure endpoints, the ThreatDefend Platform will be a critical resource for every defender’s security suite.”

The company’s new Active Directory solution, which can be purchased standalone or as part of the ThreatDefend Endpoint Suite, intercepts advanced attacks (APTs) and contains them automatically at the endpoint. When Active Directory queries are made, the response gets altered and deceptive content is added, creating an altered reality for the attacker. Valuable enterprise resource information can now be hidden, and attack surfaces reduced. With the redirection of activities into the deception environment, the attack can also be safely studied and Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs), along with company specific threat intelligence, gathered.

The company also announced new platform capabilities that monitor available services on production endpoints and redirect attempted access into a deception environment. Every endpoint on the network becomes a decoy and when paired with the company’s deception lures, locks down an attacker’s ability to break out from the endpoint without getting caught. In addition to early attempted lateral movement detection, defenders gain visibility into the attacker’s tools, the use of malicious software, and the ability to quickly quarantine infected systems.

Attivo Doubles Down on Detecting Lateral Attack Methods 
The time it takes for an attacker to move off of an initially compromised system – breakout time - has been recorded at an average of 4.5 hours, making it critical to stop lateral movement and prevent an adversary from establishing a foothold. The new ThreatDefend Platform offerings now not only interweave deception throughout the network but also make every endpoint a decoy designed to disrupt an attack’s ability to breakout. It also does this without requiring agents on the endpoint or disruption to network operations. The attack methods include, but are not limited to:

  • Steal local credentials

  • Look for file shares and connected systems

  • Network reconnaissance as they look for hosts (production assets) and available services on these hosts

  • Active Directory Reconnaissance to query AD to find privileged domain accounts, system accounts and high value systems

  • Man-in-the-Middle attacks where credentials are stolen in transit

"The attacker’s ability to rapidly gain a foothold, complete reconnaissance, and quickly move through an enterprise will be severely impacted through the deployment of a well-orchestrated deception solution that includes these new capabilities," said Chris Roberts, chief security strategist at Attivo Networks.

With the latest expansion of the ThreatDefend Platform, the company has further enhanced the portfolio’s overall capabilities to not only detection and response but also in the identification and prevention of insider and external threats. The portfolio enhancements include:

  • Identification and prevention: Insight into attack path vulnerabilities as well as the ability to detect and redirect active attackers. At risk credentials and paths can be automatically remediated for attack surface reductions.

  • Endpoint detection: In addition to an extensive offering of credential, file share, and cloud access management, the company has added the ability to redirect attacks into a deception environment as they attempt to target unused services.

  • Network detection: A full suite of high interaction decoys creates a full deception fabric for the early detection of reconnaissance, AD reconnaissance, and Man-in-the-Middle attacks.

  • Analysis: The deception management server automates the gathering and analysis of threat intelligence and forensics and displays it in its new Informer dashboard.

  • Response: Automated incident response is achieved through over 30 native integrations with firewalls. SIEMs, NACs, Endpoint Detection, Response (EDR), and orchestration solutions.

Attivo Momentum Accelerates 
Attivo is releasing its ThreatDefend portfolio enhancements and will be exhibiting at Black Hat USA 2019 while demonstrating impressive growth, increased customer adoption and market momentum. The company has garnered a #31 ranking on the Deloitte Fast 500, signed customers in 24 out of 27 vertical industries, and raised $60 million in funding to further fuel global expansion, engineering, and customer programs.

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