Is Your SMB Being Targeted By An Adversary In The Middle Attack?

Summary: Adversary in the middle attacks (AITMs) are a clear cyber security threat to SMBs. Criminals know that many SMBs lack robust cybersecurity protection. Learn how these and other cyber attacks can jeopardize the future of your business, and those of your vendors and clients. Find out the cyber defense solutions available to protect your company.

Today, cyberattacks are much more complex than mere infection with viruses or computer worms. Hackers take time to devise a variety of different attack methods. That is their job. They also carefully plan incremental steps toward reaching the malicious goals of their assault while remaining undetected. Such multi stage attacks, also known as multi vector attacks, can be launched over time and attack your SMB and its connected business partner networks.

There are generally several key phases to a multi stage attack:

• Scouting and Reconnaissance – First, cybercriminals look for a vulnerable target. Once identified, they gather as much information as possible about the business, its IT infrastructure, company executives and its network. The hackers have a variety of benign methods to learn about their target, including network scanning, network traffic analysis software and identification of any open-source intelligence (publicly available information collected for a specific purpose).
• First Access – After the reconnaissance “mission” is complete, the hackers can identify vulnerable endpoints and decide where their attack can be most successful. They can target just one endpoint (such as the CFO’s laptop), perhaps not running on up-to-date firmware. Other likely targets could include unsuspecting users who unknowingly click on a malicious URL or download a dangerous or infected file. After all, humans are usually the weakest link and the entry point for most phishing attacks.
• Relentless Persistence – Once cyberthieves have successfully breached a network, their top priority is maintaining and expanding access while remaining undetectable. Having gained access, hackers can perpetuate the attack by installing a malicious code containing viruses that spread and create a backdoor for further nefarious acts including ransom attacks.
• Escalating Privileges – An attacker might be able to breach the network and credentials of an assistant manager. However, employees higher up the company ladder are even better targets because of their access permissions to company data. For example, a director of graphics is not likely to have access to financial data, whereas a C-level executive might have access to all company data.
• Lateral Movement – To launch a profitable cyberattack, hackers need to be able to breach the best set of credentials to achieve their data breach goals. This objective requires them to move across the network. As the attack spreads, they can also evaluate the network traffic and the patterns of data flow across the system.
• Exfiltration of Confidential Data – This phase of a multi stage attack is the bad actor’s big payoff as they begin to exfiltrate private company data from the network. Besdie direct financial theft, data breaches are the ultimate goal for hackers. It might take months to achieve, but if they’ve chosen their targets wisely, it will be well worth their wait as each phase of their plan rolls out. The most valuable asset of most SMBs is their hard-earned business data. Client and employee private information can be resold multiple times on the dark web.

Adversary in the Middle Attacks

Adversary in the middle (AITM) attacks, also known as man in the middle (MITM) attacks, are defined as: “a cyberattack where the attacker secretly relays and possibly alters the communications between two parties who believe that they are directly communicating with each other, as the attacker has inserted themselves between the two parties.” Imagine talking on the phone and having someone silently listen in, capturing everything you say and then saving, altering or misdirecting your private communications. Once your SMB’s network has been breached, that hacker controls your most private and proprietary data and communication. AITM attacks can have devesating consequences when a cybercriminal posing as an executive instructs employees to transfer funds or divulge passwords.

The complexity of today’s cyber security can be overwhelming. Cyber thieves have developed an arsenal of multi stage approaches to breaching SMB computer networks, such as:

• Malware – Malware (malicious software) is a term that encompasses many different types of attacks, including viruses, trojans, ransomware, worms, adware and spyware. This wide variety of hacks compromises data in many different ways.
• Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks – DoS attacks are launched by overwhelming a computer network with an avalanche of requests until the network malfunctions from the disruption.
  • DDoS Attacks – DDoS attacks spread small snippets of seemingly benign yet actually malicious code through different points in a network. Then, all of the “distributed’ code is activated at the same time. DDoS attacks hit systems from many points, making the attack fast and pervasive.
• Phishing Emails – Phishing is a widespread attack in which users are tricked into clicking on or downloading malicious programs. Some phishing emails may have urgent warnings or tempting offers that prompt impulsive users to click on malicious code or links to fake websites. As we always say, “Think before you click!”
• Identity Theft – It is said that 80 percent of cyberattacks on SMBs start with fake or stolen credentials. Stolen credentials immediately open doors for hackers. Depending on the corporate level of the employee whose identity is robbed, identity theft can devastate your business.

Cyber Security Service for Small Businesses

Most SMBs can’t afford in-house IT experts. Therefore, it is wise to engage IT security professionals to perform a cyber risk analysis and propose appropriate cyber security solutions to help identify and defend against malicious multi vector attacks. Endpoint monitoring, employee phishing training and other cybersecurity methods can greatly reduce the likihood of an attack. Advance network protection can make recovery possible, and far less expensive.