• Home
  • Archive
  • Tools
  • Contact Us

The Customize Windows

Technology Journal

  • Cloud Computing
  • Computer
  • Digital Photography
  • Windows 7
  • Archive
  • Cloud Computing
  • Virtualization
  • Computer and Internet
  • Digital Photography
  • Android
  • Sysadmin
  • Electronics
  • Big Data
  • Virtualization
  • Downloads
  • Web Development
  • Apple
  • Android
Advertisement
You are here: Home » How to Analyze Network Traffic to Detect Advanced Persistent Threats

By Abhishek Ghosh October 30, 2013 9:53 pm Updated on October 30, 2013

How to Analyze Network Traffic to Detect Advanced Persistent Threats

Advertisement

Many IT workers feel more like firemen than like networking professionals. They detect network attacks, respond to them and move on to the next problem. However, putting out fires is an ineffective approach because research has shown that most cyber attacks are not one-time events. They are a series of ongoing attacks designed to probe a network’s weakness and compromise it.

While knowing that one’s network is constantly under attack may seem discouraging, the good news is that, the ongoing nature of attacks gives a chance to learn from the mistakes of the attackers. Much is made of zero-day attacks, but many advanced persistent threats (APT) actually use some sort of familiar malware and older exploits. Advanced network security companies can monitor your network at a deeper level, analyze attack patterns and help to recognize and filter new attacks before they can start running the exploit. Although the very newly created malicious files may not have any detectable signatures, these tools can often learn to recognize patterns including communication between a malware program and its command-and-control (C&C) server.

 

Recognizing Suspicious Network Traffic Patterns

 

The malware campaigns of the past were thwarted when antivirus software picked up a virus signature pattern. However, many of the today’s attacks occur before a signature can be detected and communicated to the world at large. While attackers are constantly adapting, many types of malware follow consistent communication patterns that enable security solutions to identify them as threats. Security tools can recognize attacks in progress by using these four main generic detection methods:

Advertisement

---

  1. Protocol-aware detection : Many types of malware, including remote access Trojans (RAT) use HTTP/HTTPS ports for communication. For example, RATs often target Port 80 and Port 443 because these ports are open at the firewall level. If a security program detects non-HTTP activity at Port 80 or non-HTTPS activity at Port 443, then it will flag the communication as a part of a potential attack.
  2. Compressed archives : When a network has been compromised, attackers may use .RAR files, which are password-protected and compressed archives, in order to steal data. Isolating .RAR files as they leave the network does generate false positive results, but it also prevents serious data breaches.
  3. HTTP headers : While a malware campaign may use HTTP headers to communicate with its C&C server, it may also send requests by utilizing an application programming interface (API) that looks different from network traffic. By analyzing the HTTP headers, an advanced security solution can detect malware even without a signature.
  4. Pattern detection : Many campaigns send beacons to their C&C servers at regular intervals. A periodic DNS request or request to the same URL can signal an attack in progress. Other potential attack patterns may include consistent transferred data volume, packet size or timing.

 

Protection Tools for Recognizing Suspicious Network Traffic Patterns

 
How to Analyze Network Traffic to Detect Advanced Persistent Threats

In addition to detecting general network traffic patterns, here are four other specific detection methods to thwart APTs:

  1. Network content inspection : Performs file extractions, decompression, decoding and port-agnostic protocol detection.
  2. Advanced threat scan : This technique scans for functionality that might not be found in a typical network file. Heuristic scanning may detect the typical distribution technique employed by a worm, the payload of a Trojan horse or the replication pattern of a computer virus.
  3. Sandbox analysis : Suspected malware is isolated from the network and run in a sandbox. The sandbox filters out suspicious programs based on parameters set by the customer and keeps them from executing certain functions on the network.
  4. Threat intelligence : Using a solution from a major security company gives the access to a wide network of threat assessments and detection tools. For instance, a major security company can correlate billions of URL, email and file queries every day, sorting out suspicious items based on known threats and on the source or site’s reputation.

Unfortunately, no security tool can protect the network from every threat. However, when you choose a network security solution, choose a program from a reliable company with a wide range of resources at their disposal.

Tagged With advanced persistent threat , aatack , advanced persistant , how to analyze traffic data for virus , https://yandex ru/clck/jsredir?from=yandex ru;search;web;;&text=&etext=1834 ES6Sqx9boBNwZ_5pEswIxuSdXOcolxhul1YVOynx7KB3wdL_jidzGSGngEw6a12R 040b71ff4f05e43f251ab8f54eed21d7c0bde522&uuid=&state=_BLhILn4SxNIvvL0W45KSic66uCIg23qh8iRG98qeIXme , persistant attack , persistant threat , What is an example of advanced persistent threat?

This Article Has Been Shared 558 Times!

Facebook Twitter Pinterest
Abhishek Ghosh

About Abhishek Ghosh

Abhishek Ghosh is a Businessman, Surgeon, Author and Blogger. You can keep touch with him on Twitter - @AbhishekCTRL.

Here’s what we’ve got for you which might like :

Articles Related to How to Analyze Network Traffic to Detect Advanced Persistent Threats

  • Methodology hackers use for an intrusion to a network

    This article aims to explain the methodology generally used by hackers to break into a computer system. It does not explain how to compromise a system but to understand how it may be better able to withstand them.

  • Cloud Computing : Your Concerns and Thoughts of Richard Stallman

    Cloud Computing as terminology raises the eyebrows of some users who are associated with academics and computing for many years. Let us discuss on the topic.

  • Secure Connection to Cloud Infrastructure by VPN Tunnel

    Secure connection to Cloud Infrastructure by using VPN Tunnel – on Secure Cloud Computing Guide, we pointed the importance of the connecting device.

  • Eight Tips for Secure Cloud

    Eight Tips for Secure Cloud are for are using the extremely useful services whose security are still regarded as uncertain. What users can do in this situation?

  • Self Hosted WordPress on Cloud Server for Dummies

    Self Hosted WordPress is itself a scary phrase to a non-tech person and add Cloud Server on it. Here is Very Easy Guide to under Self Hosted WordPress.

Additionally, performing a search on this website can help you. Also, we have YouTube Videos.

Take The Conversation Further ...

We'd love to know your thoughts on this article.
Meet the Author over on Twitter to join the conversation right now!

If you want to Advertise on our Article or want a Sponsored Article, you are invited to Contact us.

Contact Us

Subscribe To Our Free Newsletter

Get new posts by email:

Please Confirm the Subscription When Approval Email Will Arrive in Your Email Inbox as Second Step.

Search this website…

 

Popular Articles

Our Homepage is best place to find popular articles!

Here Are Some Good to Read Articles :

  • Cloud Computing Service Models
  • What is Cloud Computing?
  • Cloud Computing and Social Networks in Mobile Space
  • ARM Processor Architecture
  • What Camera Mode to Choose
  • Indispensable MySQL queries for custom fields in WordPress
  • Windows 7 Speech Recognition Scripting Related Tutorials

Social Networks

  • Pinterest (22.1K Followers)
  • Twitter (5.8k Followers)
  • Facebook (5.7k Followers)
  • LinkedIn (3.7k Followers)
  • YouTube (1.3k Followers)
  • GitHub (Repository)
  • GitHub (Gists)
Looking to publish sponsored article on our website?

Contact us

Recent Posts

  • Cutting Out The Coding: Serverless Computing In Action May 24, 2022
  • Types of Blackjack Variants: Discover the Different Versions of the Game May 23, 2022
  • How Cloud, Robotics And Sensor Technologies Are Changing The Business Landscape May 23, 2022
  • Modernizing Your Business With a Hybrid Cloud Strategy May 22, 2022
  • Big Data in Sports May 20, 2022

About This Article

Cite this article as: Abhishek Ghosh, "How to Analyze Network Traffic to Detect Advanced Persistent Threats," in The Customize Windows, October 30, 2013, May 25, 2022, https://thecustomizewindows.com/2013/10/how-to-analyze-network-traffic-to-detect-advanced-persistent-threats/.

Source:The Customize Windows, JiMA.in

This website uses cookies. If you do not want to allow us to use cookies and/or non-personalized Ads, kindly clear browser cookies after closing this webpage.

Read Privacy Policy.

PC users can consult Corrine Chorney for Security.

Want to know more about us? Read Notability and Mentions & Our Setup.

Copyright © 2022 - The Customize Windows | dESIGNed by The Customize Windows

Copyright  · Privacy Policy  · Advertising Policy  · Terms of Service  · Refund Policy