What is the MITRE ATT&CK Framework

The MITRE ATT&CK® Framework is a knowledge base of adversary tactics, techniques, and common knowledge (CTK) threat actors use. It is a valuable resource for security professionals to understand how attackers operate and to develop effective defenses and security coverage to maintain a strong security posture.

The ATT&CK Framework is divided into three main components:

• Tactics: These are the high-level goals of an adversary, such as gaining access to a system or stealing data.
• Techniques: These are the specific actions an adversary takes to achieve a tactic.
• Common Knowledge: This is information that is shared by the security community about adversaries, such as malware signatures or IOCs (indicators of compromise).

The ATT&CK Framework is constantly updated to reflect new threats and adversarial behaviors. It is available for free to anyone who wants to use it.

Why is the MITRE ATT&CK Framework valuable?

The MITRE ATT&CK Framework is valuable for several reasons:

• It provides a common language for talking about adversarial tactics and behavior. This can help security teams to communicate more effectively and to share information about threats.
• It helps security teams to understand the different stages of an attack. Understanding the attack lifecycle can help security analysts quickly identify and respond to threats.
• It guides how to detect and mitigate adversary techniques. This can help security teams to build more effective network defenses.

Key Benefits of the MITRE ATT&CK Framework

The MITRE ATT&CK Framework offers several key benefits, including:

• Improved threat intelligence: The framework provides a comprehensive overview of adversary tactics and techniques, which can help security analysts better understand the threats they face.
• Enhanced detection capabilities: The framework can identify and prioritize threats by mapping them to specific techniques to better understand attack methods.
• Improved incident response: The framework can be used to develop playbooks and procedures for responding to incidents.
• Increased collaboration: The framework provides a common language for communicating about threats, which can help to improve collaboration between security teams.

Available matrixes

The MITRE ATT&CK Framework offers multiple matrixes, each of which focuses on a specific area of security:

• Enterprise Matrix: This matrix covers the most common platforms and technologies used in enterprise environments.
• Mobile Matrix: This matrix covers the tactics and techniques adversaries use to attack mobile devices.
• ICS Matrix: This matrix covers the tactics and techniques used by adversaries to attack industrial control systems.
• Cloud Matrix: This matrix covers the tactics and techniques adversaries use to attack cloud-based environments.
• IoT Matrix: This matrix covers the tactics and techniques adversaries use to attack Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

What is The Cloud Matrix?

The MITRE ATT&CK Cloud Matrix is a framework that helps security teams understand the tactics and techniques used by adversaries to attack cloud-based environments. The matrix covers many cloud platforms, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.

How does the MITRE ATT&CK Framework help improve detection and response capabilities?

The MITRE ATT&CK Framework can help to improve detection and response capabilities in many ways:

• By providing a common language for discussing adversary behavior, the framework can help security teams communicate more effectively and share information about threats.
• By helping security teams to understand the different stages of an attack, the framework can help them to identify and respond to threats more quickly.
• By providing guidance on detecting and mitigating adversary techniques, the framework can help security teams build more effective defenses.

How many techniques does the MITRE ATT&CK Framework have?

As of September 2023, the MITRE ATT&CK Framework has 240 techniques across 14 tactics. The tactics are:

• Reconnaissance: Gathering information about a target.
• Resource Development: Establishing resources to support operations.
• Initial Access: Gaining access to a system or network.
• Execution: Running malicious code on a system.
• Persistence: Maintaining access to a system or network.
• Privilege Escalation: Gaining higher-level permissions on a system.
• Defense Evasion: Avoiding detection by security measures.
• Credential Access: Stealing or compromising credentials.
• Discovery: Learning about the victim's environment.
• Lateral Movement: Moving from one system to another within a network.
• Collection: Gathering data from a system or network.
• Command and Control: Communicating with other systems or networks.
• Exfiltration: Moving data out of a system or network.
• Impact: Disrupting or destroying a system or network.

The techniques are organized into tactics to help security professionals understand how adversaries use them to achieve their goals. For example, the technique "Spearphishing" is used in the "Initial Access" tactic to trick victims into clicking on a malicious link or opening an infected attachment.

 

How many techniques does the MITRE ATT&CK Framework have within the cloud matrix?

As of September 2023, the MITRE ATT&CK Framework has 62 techniques within the cloud matrix. The techniques are organized into the same 14 tactics as the enterprise matrix but specific to cloud-based environments.

Here are some of the most common techniques in the cloud matrix:

• Cloud Infrastructure Discovery: This technique involves gathering information about the cloud infrastructure, such as the cloud provider, the regions and zones, and the available resources.
• Cloud Service Dashboard: This technique involves accessing the cloud service dashboard to view information about the cloud resources, such as account usage, billing information, and security controls settings.
• Cloud Storage Object Discovery: This technique involves finding and accessing cloud storage objects, such as files, images, and databases.
• Network Service Discovery: This technique involves finding and accessing network services, such as web servers, databases, and mail servers.
• Network Sniffing: This technique involves capturing network traffic to gather information about the communications between cloud resources.
• Password Policy Discovery: This technique involves finding and accessing the password policies for cloud resources, such as the minimum password length, the number of failed login attempts allowed, and the password expiration period.

 

What does Gartner say about MITRE ATT&CK?

Gartner, a leading research and advisory company, has praised the MITRE ATT&CK Framework as a valuable resource for security professionals. In a 2021 report, Gartner said the framework "is a comprehensive and actionable taxonomy of adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that can be used to improve threat detection and response."

The report also noted that the MITRE ATT&CK Framework is "widely adopted by security professionals and vendors" and that it is "continually updated to reflect emerging threats."

Here are some specific things that Gartner has said about the MITRE ATT&CK Framework:

• "The MITRE ATT&CK Framework is a valuable resource for security teams looking to improve their understanding of adversary behavior and develop effective defenses."
• "The framework is comprehensive and actionable, providing security teams with a common language for discussing adversary TTPs and guidance on detecting and mitigating them."
• "The MITRE ATT&CK Framework is widely adopted by security professionals, threat hunters, and vendors, making it a valuable tool for collaboration and information sharing."
• "The framework is continually updated to reflect emerging threats, ensuring that security teams have the latest information they need to protect their organizations."

Overall, the MITRE ATT&CK Framework is a valuable resource for security professionals looking to improve their understanding of adversary behavior and develop effective defenses.

What is MITRE Engenuitiy? 

MITRE Engenuity is a not-for-profit organization created in 2019 by the MITRE Corporation. Its mission is to accelerate the development and adoption of new technologies that address national security and safety challenges.

The MITRE ATT&CK Framework is one of the many products and services that MITRE Engenuity offers. It is also one of the most popular and widely used frameworks in the cybersecurity industry.

MITRE Engenuity has several programs and initiatives supporting the MITRE ATT&CK Framework. These include:

• The ATT&CK Evaluations program evaluates the effectiveness of security products and services against the MITRE ATT&CK Framework.
• The ATT&CK Navigator is a tool that helps security professionals visualize and understand the MITRE ATT&CK Framework.
• The ATT&CK Malware Tournament is a competition that challenges security researchers to develop tools and techniques to detect and analyze malware.

MITRE Engenuity's work on the MITRE ATT&CK Framework has significantly impacted the cybersecurity industry. The framework has helped to improve the understanding of adversary behavior and has led to the development of new security products and services.

In addition to the MITRE ATT&CK Framework, MITRE Engenuity offers several other products and services supporting the cybersecurity industry. These include:

• The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) Program identifies and publishes information about security vulnerabilities.
• The Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) Program identifies and classifies attack patterns.
• The Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) Program provides a framework for automating security assessment and compliance.

Why is utilizing MITRE ATT&CK essential in today's threat landscape?

• The threat landscape is constantly evolving: Attackers are constantly developing new techniques and tools to evade detection and gain access to systems and data. The MITRE ATT&CK Framework provides a comprehensive overview of adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), which can help security teams stay up-to-date on the latest threats.
• It helps security teams understand the adversary: The MITRE ATT&CK Framework provides a common language for discussing adversary behavior. This can help security teams to communicate more effectively and to share information about threats. By understanding how adversaries operate, security teams can develop more effective defenses.
• It can help security teams to identify and prioritize threats: The MITRE ATT&CK Framework can be used to identify and prioritize threats by mapping them to specific techniques. This can help security teams to focus their resources on the most critical threats.
• It can help security teams develop effective defenses: The MITRE ATT&CK Framework provides guidance on detecting and mitigating adversary techniques. This can help security teams to build more effective defenses against cyberattacks.
• It is a collaborative effort: The MITRE ATT&CK Framework is a collaborative effort between security researchers, organizations, and vendors. This ensures the framework is constantly updated to reflect the latest threats and techniques.

Overall, the MITRE ATT&CK Framework is an essential tool for security teams looking to improve their understanding of adversary behavior and develop effective defenses against cyberattacks. 

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