Indicators of compromise (IoC) are forensic evidences pointing to potential security breaches within your IT network or endpoint systems. Examples include signs of malware, unauthorized access, or compromised credentials. Once your IT team discovers an IoC, immediate steps must be taken to remediate the threat and secure data.
It must be noted that an IoC differs from an indicator of attack (IoA), which refers to an ongoing attack and requires more aggressive remediation.
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Why are IoCs important?
Identifying indicators of compromise significantly reduces your organization’s security risk. Early detection of IoCs allows your security team to respond to and resolve attacks quickly and minimize organizational impact. In turn, this can lead to greater operational efficiency and customer or end-user satisfaction.
How do indicators of compromise work?
An IoC can be likened to clues at a crime scene. IT and security teams use an IoC, or several IoCs, in their cybersecurity strategies to identify and assess clues of a security breach. Typically, these indicators are recorded as unusual or suspicious event logs captured in extended detection and response (XDR) solutions, security information and event management (SIEM) tools, and all-in-one endpoint management software.
Security teams must regularly monitor for IoCs to ensure faster detection, quarantine, and resolution. The quicker teams can discover an IoC, the faster and more effectively they can respond to that breach. IoCs also play a useful role in improving your organization’s overall incident response processes.
How to identify indicators of compromise?
IoCs are recorded in log files. Security professionals must regularly monitor their digital systems for unusual activities. Thankfully, most security tools simplify this process by leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to establish a baseline and then alert teams of any abnormalities that cross this threshold.
It’s also a good idea to create a culture of security in your organization so that even people outside your security team know how to spot common cyberattacks and know what to do when they receive a suspicious email or download an infected file. Good cybersecurity training is essential across all departments, fostering a stronger, more resilient company culture.
Examples of IoCs
- Network traffic anomalies: Is there significantly more data leaving the organization, or are you receiving activity from an unusual location?
- Multiple suspicious sign-in attempts: Do you notice any unusual sign-in attempts, such as trying to sign in during odd times of the day or from different countries? It’s also a good idea to watch out for multiple failed sign-ins from the same account.
- Privilege account irregularities: Insider threats can display atypical behavior in classified information. If you notice an unusual attempt to access sensitive data, it could indicate someone is attempting to escalate their privileges. At worst, this could signal a golden ticket attack.
- System configuration changes: Are there unexpected or unauthorized configuration changes in your network? It could indicate signs of malware.
- Unplanned software installations: Ransomware is notorious for making files inaccessible after being installed in your network.
- Unusual domain name system requests: Are you suddenly receiving multiple and unusual domain name system requests? This may be a threat actor trying to create a connection to a server.
- Multiple requests for the same file: Numerous requests for a single file may indicate that someone is trying to steal a specific asset and is trying several ways to access it.
How to respond to indicators of compromise?
Once your security team identifies an IoC, they must conduct the most appropriate remediation strategy depending on the specific indicator found. We’ve created several guides that may help you.
- How to address zero-day vulnerabilities
- Breaking cyber attack chains with 5 tools
- Vulnerability remediation timelines: 7 best practices
- Complete guide to systems hardening
- Endpoint security: 8 best practices
- IT security checklist to protect your business
- How to create a modern cybersecurity strategy for IT departments
Regardless of your chosen strategy, you must respond as effectively as possible to ensure minimal damage to your organization. Remember that these guides only serve as a benchmark: Create a remediation plan most appropriate to your specific situation. It is also a good idea to continually refer to your incident response plan and closely collaborate with relevant stakeholders.
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