The Assumed Breach Model is a cybersecurity strategy that operates under the principle that no system is completely immune to security breaches. Instead of focusing solely on prevention, this model assumes that sooner or later a dedicated attacker will penetrate defenses and emphasizes the importance of detecting, responding to, and mitigating attacks once they occur.
Some key elements of this security model are:
Proactive Detection: instead of relying solely on preventive measures, the model prioritizes the implementation of systems and processes to quickly detect breaches.
Incident Response: emphasizes having robust incident response plans to minimize impact and quickly recover when a security incident occurs.
Threat Hunting: does not wait for automatic alerts to act but actively searches for signs of malicious activity within the network.
Security Awareness: employees should be continuously trained to recognize, and know how and where to report, any suspicious activity.
Impact on Protection and Analysis Methodologies
Here are some key elements to consider when implementing security models based on the principle of assumed breach.
Internal Security Reinforcement: traditionally, companies have focused on strengthening perimeter defenses to keep threats out. The Assumed Breach Model assumes the perimeter might be compromised, thus reinforcing internal security, emphasizing the need to monitor systems and establish internal controls.
Continuous Monitoring: as indicated, one of the key elements for protection is monitoring systems continuously to detect any anomalies or potential security breaches quickly.
Advanced Penetration Testing: penetration testing under the Assumed Breach Model goes beyond external penetration. It includes scenarios where the evaluator assumes the role of an internal threat or an attacker who has already penetrated the organization’s perimeter.
This approach tests internal controls, lateral movement detection, and response mechanisms.Red Team and Blue Team Exercises: this security model encourages the continuous use of Red Team (offensive group) and Blue Team (defensive group) exercises to simulate real attack scenarios, and thus measure the effectiveness of the detection and response capabilities implemented.
These exercises help identify weaknesses in the internal security posture and improve the coordination and efficiency of the response teams.Emphasis on Incident Response Testing: conducting regular tests and simulations of the incident response plan is critical. It is possible to evaluate the team’s ability to contain and remediate an incident through various types of exercises, from “tabletop” simulations to full process validation during a Red Team exercise.
Some of the most important elements to validate to ensure a proper response in real attack scenarios are communication protocols, decision-making processes, and technical responses during the incident.Threat Hunting Exercises: in these exercises, the security team actively searches for indicators of compromise (IoCs) and advanced persistent threats (APTs) within the network. These exercises help uncover hidden threats that automated systems might overlook and improve overall threat detection capabilities.
Adversary Emulation: with the aim of improving defenses, testing methodologies involve emulating the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of known malicious actors, to evaluate the organization’s detection and response mechanisms against these real threats. Through adversary emulation, it is possible to assess the reliability of security measures and establish a continuous improvement process for our defenses.
In short, the Assumed Breach Model significantly impacts security methodologies by shifting the focus from mere prevention to a balanced approach that includes detection, response, and continuous improvement. This model encourages organizations to adopt a more realistic and proactive stance towards cybersecurity, enhancing their resilience to inevitable breaches.