Advanced Persistent Threat evolve cyber attacks, expertise needed to counter

WAYNE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Recently, reports detail attacks against U.S. energy companies. These reports highlight a dated methodology used by the cyber attackers, commonly referred to as the Advanced Persistent Threat (APT), which are widely presumed to be supported by the Chinese government. The attacks described were commonly effective and successful in infiltrating companies around the world, such as the reported Google hacking incident in early 2010, over the last four years. The attackers’ methodologies, however, have advanced significantly. Most concerning, is that the recommendations and technologies proposed in the report, are ineffective to counter the current incarnation of the attacks.

The report details attacks that were used in early generations of the attack, and the recommended countermeasures are no longer effective. Currently, attackers are now embedded inside their targeted networks and employing highly sophisticated covert channels to maintain and evolve the attacks. Solutions, however, have not evolved to the same level. Ira Winkler, an industry leader in the cyberespionage and security field and Chief Security Strategist at TechnoDyne, has advised businesses throughout the world in dealing with such attacks and stays actively involved in ongoing investigations of security attacks. Winkler stated, “The attack methodology described in the report is the previous generation of attacks from the APT. The current round of attacks are exponentially more sophisticated and involve large scale compromises of the network by malware that the Anti-Virus product vendors are not picking up in any way. The victim’s network itself is used as one large compromised system, and removing any individual system, will just result in the replacement systems being infected. Recommendations based on the previous generation of APT attacks are not only ineffective, they are dangerous as they give companies a false sense of security.”

Winkler went on to say that if a company is targeted by APT attackers, and just about all large companies are, it needs to not rely on technologies, but skilled practitioners who know how to search for covert communications channels. There are only one or two tools that are possibly effective in picking up such traffic, and even with such tools, companies need people who know what to look for. There is no product available that can remove the involved malware once it has taken hold of the network. It takes expertise in creating a strategy to remove the infection from the network.

“The APT has clearly put millions of dollars of resources into the creation of their strategy, targeting, technologies, etc. They have also learned from their successes and failures and evolved and perfected their attacks,” Winkler said. “There is no single product or service which can deal with their efforts.”

About TechnoDyne

TechnoDyne is a fast-growing information technology services firm that delivers services to government agencies and private sector enterprises. Founded in 1998, TechnoDyne provides solutions for the next generation enterprise which include the enablement of new business models, software application development, collaborative technologies, data center and cloud management, IT governance and risk training, and workforce management. TechnoDyne is a minority and woman-owned business and with offices in New York City, New Jersey, Boston, Virginia and Bangalore. You can visit the home page at www.technodyne.com.

CONTACT:

TechnoDyne
Cynthia A. Moriczdetecso, 973-305-0400, ext. 218
cynthia@technodyne.com
or
Gutenberg Communications
Kati Bergou, 212-810-4394
kati@gutenbergpr.com

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