Pyramid Of Pain And How CyberTrap Can Help

CyberTrap Deception

The pyramid shown above was created as the "Pyramid of Pain" by David J Bianco (Mandiant/FireEye) in 2013. It describes the difficulties that can be caused to an attacker by different security techniques. The lower the layer, the easier it is for the hacker to overcome. The lowest three layers of the pyramid are covered by automated detection methods, such as anti-malware, anti-virus, and firewalls. However, these can be easily bypassed by sophisticated attackers.

The upper three layers of the pyramid are more difficult to overcome and can be addressed by software solutions that enable AI-based behavioral observation. However, these systems often misjudge and flag legitimate actions as intrusions, leading to a high workload for security analysts and causing alert fatigue, where subsequent alerts are treated with less urgency and seriousness.

At the peak, when dealing directly with the attacker’s behavior, deception provides an effective handle with comprehensive analysis capabilities. The hacker can be observed and isolated, including those using 0-day attacks and advanced persistent threats (APTs). Without being able to cause any real damage, the attacker encounters a realistic and authentic system from which they can attempt to exfiltrate data and compromise the network.

This technology is particularly useful in the banking, financial, pharmaceutical, and industrial sectors, but SMEs also face such attacks. In addition to endpoint deception with fast alerting (no false positives!), there is Active Directory Deception against bloodhound scans, as well as Web Application Deception. Deception offers protection at all levels of the "Pyramid of the Attacker’s Pain."

By employing these advanced deception techniques, CyberTrap ensures that hackers are constantly met with obstacles, making their attempts more difficult and less likely to succeed, thus protecting your critical assets and maintaining the integrity of your network.