What is an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)?

An Overview of APTs

An APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) is a type of cyberattack where hackers secretly target an organization over a long period. Instead of attacking quickly, APTs are slow and quiet, so the attackers can stay unnoticed. They try to steal important information or cause damage. These attacks are often planned carefully and involve several steps to achieve their goal, like spying or stealing money. APTs can affect businesses, governments, and even critical services.

APT's typically have higher value targets. Many times they are state sponsored by countries such as Russia, China, and North Korea. APT's have become increasingly more sophisticated, sharing target information between themselves and concocting new and more sophisticated techniques and tactics.

APT's usually go by a creative name and are also assigned a number. Sometimes, they go by different names as they evolve over time.

Attack Methods

APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) groups use a variety of attack methods to achieve their goals. Here are some common types of attacks they might carry out:

1. Phishing: APT groups often start by tricking people into giving away sensitive information, like passwords, through fake emails or websites that look legitimate. This is called phishing.

2. Malware: They may install malware (malicious software) on a system, such as a backdoor, which allows them to secretly access the system later, or ransomware, which can lock files and demand payment to unlock them.

3. Exploiting Vulnerabilities: APTs look for security weaknesses in software or networks that haven't been fixed (called vulnerabilities) and use these to break into systems.

4. Credential Dumping: After gaining access to one part of a network, APTs try to collect and use stolen usernames and passwords to move to other parts of the network, escalating their access.

5. Lateral Movement: Once inside, attackers will move through the network to find valuable information. They may look for high-value targets, like intellectual property or sensitive government data.

6. Data Exfiltration: APT groups often steal data, such as confidential business information or personal data, and send it back to their servers without being noticed.

7. Denial of Service (DoS): Some APTs might use attacks that overwhelm a system or network, making it unavailable to users. This is known as a Denial of Service attack.

8. Privilege Escalation: Attackers may increase their control over systems by gaining administrator-level privileges, giving them full access to all resources.

These attacks are often carried out over weeks, months, or even years, allowing the attackers to remain undetected while slowly achieving their objectives.

To learn more about APT’s, check out these resources:

MITRE ATT&CK Framework
https://attack.mitre.org/groups/

CISA - Nation State Attacks
https://www.cisa.gov/.../cyb.../nation-state-cyber-actors....

Kapersky
https://usa.kaspersky.com/.../advanced-persistent-threats...

Anatomy of an APT - FireEye