The Defense Strategies Against Fileless Attacks | Total Security Software

Because fileless attacks hijack trustworthy system components, special defense strategies are required to deal with them. Some tools promise to alleviate the consequences, but the most important thing is a comprehensive security strategy.

Basically, to defend against fileless attacks you need tools that recognize the techniques used in the attack and monitor PowerShell and other script modules. Effective defense against fileless attacks also requires access to aggregated threat data and an overview of user activity. Also, protection solutions must immediately stop all processes on the target systems, correct processes that are used for attacks, and isolate infected devices.

Microsoft Antimalware Scan Interface (AMSI) offers some protection. Because this tool analyzes the script behavior, which makes it easier to detect stealth attacks. In the future, more third-party providers will probably integrate AMSI and machine learning into their security software like total security software.

The consequences of fileless attacks can potentially be mitigated by security tools with functions that block typical attack behavior, envelop sensitive processes, and protect command lines. Tools that block attack behavior collect the attribute data of a process, then the processes and goals of the actor and use this chain of events to decide whether the behavior needs to be blocked as malicious.

Integrated Platforms with An Open Architecture Offer the Best Protection

However, today it is true that most of the usual security technologies are insufficient in the areas mentioned above. In any case, targeted individual solutions fail to create an overall picture of the attack situation and therefore leave holes in the company's protective shield. Since fileless attacks are often embedded in large malware campaigns that can span several attack waves, ultimately only an integrated, holistic security concept will help. It must take into account the entire threat lifecycle before, during, and after the attack - from protecting it to detecting it and correcting the consequences of the attack.

 

Defense strategies should generally reduce the attack surface, make malicious behavior visible and react quickly, comprehensively, and flexibly to attacks. Future-oriented providers who focus on security solutions are most likely to create the corresponding technical prerequisites. Because the providers of operating systems are focused on a different topic, namely the further development of their operating system. You can therefore hardly conduct tests that are reliable enough to detect stealth attacks such as the fileless ones. This is all the more true since attack methods and tools are constantly changing and the tests have to adapt accordingly.

A Robust End Device Security Architecture Helps

A robust end device security architecture that is integrated into a comprehensive security platform makes sense. It should protect end devices with functions such as vulnerability assessment, protection against exploits and storage, desktop firewall, and URL filtering.

Reputation mechanisms can prevent malicious processes from running in compromised applications, even if those applications are considered to be trustworthy in and of themselves. Analyzes that work with machine learning and analyze malicious data before and after execution can prevent similar attacks from being carried out later. Access rules can be used to prevent entry-level exploits from spreading. Behavioral monitoring detects when trusted applications are behaving strangely. It also detects when malicious components are injected into processes and attacks spread from system to system.

To proactively identify unusual end device behavior, detection and reaction tools for end device threats (EDR tools) are used. In addition to investigating behavior, you can analyze its origin and turn the behavior off. That protects the entire infrastructure. However, reactions must take place in real-time and on all end devices, for example by blocking and isolating end devices that have been attacked. Only then can files, networks, and processes be reliably corrected.

Combining such EDR solutions with security control centers (SOCs), security and event management (SIEM) solutions, user, and entity behavior analysis (UEBA), and machine learning increases the likelihood of identifying and remedying fileless attacks more quickly.
Platforms should allow the integration of third-party software through an open architecture to cover individual aspects. Central management of the entire IT security environment is recommended. It improves the control options, creates an overview even in large infrastructures with the help of individual dashboards, and creates the necessary reports.

Equipped in this way, companies can calmly face the never-ending battle between attackers and IT security specialists, even if they develop even more sophisticated, fileless forms of attack.