Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) is the practice of collecting and analyzing information about adversaries to understand their tactics, motivations, and indicators.
The Pyramid of Pain is a framework within CTI that categorizes attack indicators into six levels based on their impact on the threat actor and the effort required by security analysts to detect them.
These indicators range from simple hash values to complex Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs). As we ascend the pyramid, the indicators become harder to collect, but their impact on disrupting adversaries increases.
Analysts should follow the pyramid's structure, starting with simple indicators and progressing to more complex ones to effectively disrupt attackers and protect their systems.
Hash values are crucial in cybersecurity for identifying and analyzing malicious files.
Hashing algorithms like MD5, SHA-1, and SHA-2 generate unique numeric values for data, which can be used to verify file integrity and detect tampering.
While hash values are effective for spotting known malware, even a slight change in a file alters its hash, making it challenging to use hashes as indicators of compromise (IOCs) in threat hunting.
Security professionals often use online tools like VirusTotal and Metadefender Cloud to look up hash values and identify suspicious files.
Despite their limitations, hashing algorithms and lookup tools remain vital in security research, helping professionals identify and analyze potentially malicious files and artifacts.
Summary:
- The Pyramid of Pain framework categorizes attack indicators to enhance cyber threat intelligence.
- It helps analysts disrupt adversaries by progressing from simple hash values to complex Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs).
- Hash values, despite their limitations, are crucial for identifying and analyzing malicious files in security research.