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Perspective & Findings

ChatGPT and Malware: Making Your Malicious Wishes Come True

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Perspective & Findings

ChatGPT and Malware: Making Your Malicious Wishes Come True

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Malicious JARs and Polyglot files: “Who do you think you JAR?”

New MuddyWater Threat: Old Kitten; New Tricks

Polonium APT Group: Uncovering New Elements

Emotet’s Vacation is Over: No Rest for the Wicked

LSASS Memory Dumps are Stealthier than Ever Before

LSASS memory dumps

Malicious Office files: 20+ Years of Microsoft Office Exploits

MIT Explores How Deep Learning is Transforming Cybersecurity

Trending at Deep Instinct

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Every organization and cybersecurity vendor (Deep Instinct included) is in an innovation race against ransomware groups whose attacks are becoming smarter, faster, and more damaging to business operations. Attacks are smarter as they are enhancing their evasive capabilities, using sandbox detection or even adversarial AI. An increased speed of attacks has also been noticeable, with a recent <a href="https://www.splunk.com/en_us/blog/security/gone-in-52-seconds-and-42-minutes-a-comparative-analysis-of-ransomware-encryption-speed.html" target="_self">study</a> revealing that the fastest ransomware threat LockBit can encrypt in under six seconds. And researchers have estimated ransomware <a href="https://fortune.com/2022/02/17/ransomware-attacks-surge-2021-report/" target="_self">attacks spiked by 105% in 2021</a> with threat actors increasingly targeting government organizations and supply chains.So how can bad actors with seemingly unlimited human and financial resources be combatted? Produced in association with Deep Instinct, a newly released <a href="/pdf/mit-deep-learning-delivers-proactive-cyber-defense" target="_self">MIT Technology Review Insights</a> looks at one leading solution – deep learning-driven malware prevention.The application of deep learning to the cybersecurity industry comes at a time when unknown threats pose an especially large risk to enterprises because many tools are unable to detect and prevent them. MIT interviewed Michael Suby, Research Vice President, Security and Trust, at International Data Corporation (IDC), who referenced the evolution of attacks, endpoints, and end users themselves which, “create a trifecta for bad actors to enter and establish a presence on any endpoint and use that endpoint to stage an attack sequence.”The most advanced form of artificial intelligence (AI), deep learning, has been around for more than fifty years, but thanks to advances in supercomputing and the cloud it is now driving some of the greatest industry disruptions. Deep learning has been at the nucleus of some of the most consequential innovations of the 21st century, powering autonomous vehicles (Tesla), speech recognition (Siri), recommendation engines (Netflix), and linguistic tools (Google Translate), and its use for threat prevention promises to change the cybersecurity paradigm, putting the advantage squarely on the side of defenders.<a href="/pdf/mit-deep-learning-delivers-proactive-cyber-defense" target="_self">MIT’s Technology Review</a> examines the origins of deep learning, the costs of cybersecurity attacks, and the adoption of deep learning in enterprise applications. The paper also details key differences between machine learning which underpins many EDR and EPP technologies today, and deep learning, which Deep Instinct is pioneering the adoption of.The real-world organizational and cost benefits of a real-time prevention first approach are analyzed, and myths around the complexity of day-to-day usage explored. In parallel, Deep Instinct CEO Guy Caspi shares various perspectives in the paper, such as the need to go beyond just new technology approaches. He explains, “If we are to ever get ahead of our adversaries, the world needs to change the mindset from detection to one of prevention.”While not every organization has been ready to take their first step in investing in a deep learning-powered cybersecurity solution, those that have are already reaping the benefits. MIT met with Mirel Sehic, Vice President and General Manager for Honeywell Building Technologies (HBT), who observed that, “Deep learning outshines any deny list, heuristic-based, or standard machine-learning approach.”This perspective is shared by other Deep Instinct customers, who have observed in benchmark and proof of value (POV) studies that:<ul><li>Deep Instinct prevents significantly more malware than their existing tools</li><li>Malware is prevented, pre-execution (sub 20ms), rather than minutes later and post-execution</li><li>Certain malware delivery vehicles such as Weaponized PDFs or Excel files were not caught by their own tool, but are prevented by Deep Instinct</li><li>CPU consumption by Deep Instinct is markedly lower compared to existing tools (as this month’s <a href="/pdf/unit-221b-deep-instinct-product-assessment" target="_self">Unit 221B study</a> also noted)</li></ul>Once implemented, Deep Instinct customers have benefitted from:<ul><li>Vastly reduced alert levels – some have reported that a “flood” of false positives has dropped to “an occasional drip”</li><li>Greater granularity of threat information using advanced <a href="/pdf/whitepaper-malware-classifiation-in-threat-prevention" target="_self">malware classification</a></li><li>Reduced team administration, with only a couple of updates a year, rather than every few weeks</li><li>Regular reports detailing the specific attacks prevented, and an analysis of these threats</li></ul>Changing established technologies and a SecOps team’s modus operandi is not without some effort, but it can pay multiple enduring dividends.For a primer on deep learning and how it is being applied to cybersecurity, the MIT study is a great place to start, and can be viewed <a href="/pdf/mit-deep-learning-delivers-proactive-cyber-defense" target="_self">here</a>.

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<h5>A Conversation with Amber Coster</h5>With a shortage of <a href="https://cyberacademy.co/cybersecurity-talent-crunch-to-create-3-5-million-unfilled-jobs-globally-by-2021/">3.5 million</a> cybersecurity professionals worldwide, ever-increasing attack vectors, an exponential increase in attack volume, and the multitude of new vulnerabilities the new work-from-anywhere normal has created, there has never been a more challenging time for SecOps professionals.Many industry professionals have not returned to the office yet, and those who have returned may only be there a few days each week. In-person team collaboration and engagement has been limited for the last 18 months. Taken in combination, the pressure and demands on SecOps teams is monumental. How can you stay resilient in the face of all these dynamics?We turned to an expert in this topic, Amber Coster, founder of workplace wellness consultancy <a href="https://www.balpro.com/">Balpro</a><a href="https://www.balpro.com/">,</a> for some guidance on a rarely discussed but highly relevant topic. Here is our Q&A:<h5>How has the topic of mental health evolved over the past 3-5 years?</h5>For a long time, the words “mental health” would trigger black and white images of a person crying the corner of a room, helpless, curled up in a ball. We heard “mental health” and saw illness, sorrow, or even danger. But we’re starting to appreciate that this picture is not an accurate representation of mental health. Just like physical health, we all have it, and how we’re feeling on any day falls on a spectrum. Ever so slowly we’re starting to appreciate that we can struggle with our mental health, we can be mentally unwell — and we can also achieve extraordinary things. We can be world class athletes, wonderful parents, great friends, and model employees.More recently, the conversation around prevention has started to gain real traction. We’re exploring ways to build our mental fitness and starting to appreciate that there are things we can do today to help protect our mental strength.We shouldn’t get too smug, though. We’ve made progress but stigma has not been eradicated. Judgement exists and healthcare is underfunded and inaccessible for many; there’s huge progress still to be made.<h5>Why are people more willing and open to talking about this topic (e.g. losing stigma, albeit slowly)?</h5>Sharing inspires sharing. People are relating to other people’s stories and being inspired to share their own. Each conversation gives those who are struggling hope and chips away at the stigma and shame.When you’re depressed it can be hard to see a future that holds any joy, possibility, or success. Learning that Michael Phelps experienced anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts before going on to win 28 medals during his Olympics career — well, that can change things for a person. It can give a flicker of optimism, a light at the end of the tunnel. People are then inspired to pay it forward, giving hope to others.Mental illness can feel exceptionally cruel, isolating, and demeaning. For many, it takes courage to share stories, to be vulnerable. It’s normal to struggle with your mental health but it doesn’t always feel that way, especially when you’re in it. The more we share, the more the topic is normalized, and the more people are given hope.<h5>What impact has the pandemic had on people’s mental resilience?</h5>One of the best quotes of the pandemic is that we were all “in the same storm, but in different boats.” We’ve experienced collective trauma, but our experiences are far from the same, and therefore our resilience varies greatly. It is so important not to lose sight of this.A lot of people are tired, they’re experiencing heightened health anxiety, grief, and the future still feels a little less secure than it did pre-covid. Others are excited to get back into the world, “make up for lost time,” and feel energized. Almost everyone has reassessed their values to some extent. It’s so important to meet people where they’re at and recognize that this in itself may change day by day.<h5>What are some of the tell-tale signs that a person needs to act?</h5>Everyone’s baseline of “mentally healthy” is different and so are the signals that our bodies and minds will send us. Getting to know yourself is key. One person may eat less, one may eat more; one person will bury themselves in work, others will stare at their screens unable to process simple tasks; one will want to hibernate and the other will be the life and soul of the party, desperate for the night not to end.Start by asking yourself how you’re doing and listen to the answer. Are you finding you have less interest in things that used to bring joy? How’s your sleep? Are you restless, apathetic? And how long have you been feeling like this?Often we’ll have a nagging feeling that something is not quite right, and often, we’ll try to ignore it. Don’t! Learning to listen to our bodies and minds — and critically, taking action — gives us the best chance of preventing reaching a point of crisis.<h5>Can you suggest three quick impact practices that readers of the blog could action straight away?</h5>Get outside — Even if just for a 15-minute walk. Get the blood pumping, breathe some fresh air, connect with nature, and give creativity a chance to return.Get a win a day —It can feel paralyzing to have so many conflicting priorities, spinning plates, pinging alerts; sometimes "important/urgent" just doesn't cut it. Focus on a win a day. Just one little win. That way, when you get into bed that night you concentrate on that one thing you got right rather than the 100 things that are still “to do.”Connect with others —Being part of a safe and supportive community is critical for our mental well-being. And remember, sharing inspires sharing.<h5>What should someone do if they’re struggling with their mental health?</h5>Never hesitate to contact your local emergency services department if you feel you or a loved one is at risk to themselves or others — that’s exactly what they’re there for.Crisis text line is a wonderful organization that supports people who are struggling. You can text SHOUT to 85258 (UK) or HOME to 741741 (USA) to be connected to a crisis volunteer for free, 24/7.For those outside of the US/UK, your doctor is a great place to start. If this doesn’t work for you, search “mental health support” to locate a charitable organization in your country — there are so many wonderful organizations in this area. Whatever you do, don’t do it alone. Speak up, help is closer than it feels. If you’re based in the UK, <a href="https://www.balpro.com/blog/im-struggling">here’s</a> some additional advice. Learn more from Amber as she co-hosts a SANS webinar, “Building Mental Resilience as a SecOps Professional,” with Deep Instinct on October 28th at 10:30 AM EDT. Register <a href="https://www.sans.org/webcasts/building-mental-resilience-as-a-secops-professional/">here</a> to attend.

The Elephant in the Room: Mental Resilience in Cybersecurity

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Deep Instinct’s Voice of SecOps Report, now in its second iteration, takes the pulse of global SecOps professionals to deliver a comprehensive picture of the challenges and opportunities enterprises face as they work in unprecedented times. The second report of 2021 builds upon our original research from July, but includes a larger sample set, now summarizing the findings of 1,500 respondents across 11 countries.The sample group geographies have been widened to include Australia and Japan, as well as additional European countries, including Spain, Italy, and Sweden. Our six core market verticals remain consistent: Financial Services, Retail, eCommerce, Manufacturing, and two of the most vulnerable industries: the Public Sector and Critical Infrastructure. Our research highlights the considerable differences in responses between geographies and verticals.A wide range of topics were included in the study to obtain a comprehensive understanding of current issues and challenges. The biggest challenges SecOps professionals face pertain to the continued risks associated with moving to the cloud, the dangers of employees clicking on malicious links, and the changing threat landscape that now includes Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) and greater complexity in attack methods.Respondents were also asked about the effects of the pandemic, with hybrid work environment concerns being explored, and the challenges of securing distributed networks. A deep dive into endpoint risks, in particular, elicited potentially alarming responses around comprehensive device coverage—or rather, lack thereof. Questions on the willingness to deploy additional agents to address gaps generated a nuanced series of responses.The study also explores perceptions on the ability to prevent malware from infiltrating an organization’s network—both currently, as well as in a few years’ time. Perhaps many of the responses are reflective of a general state of pessimism around the capabilities of established technologies to cope with new threats.The study also examines barriers to detecting more threats, and the significance of a huge volume of never-before-seen malware as major risk factor for SecOps teams. Unknown malware is a uniquely challenging problem and remains a consistent concern in both of our 2021 studies. A key question related to “speed to detect and respond;” Respondents were asked how long it took to respond to a security incident once a threat has been detected. Given the massive disruption to business continuity that follows a security breach, the lengthy global response times detailed in the study stand out as being far longer than most CEOs will tolerate.Going forward, the publication of the bi-annual Voice of SecOps Report will be alternated with the bi-annual <a href="/blog/2021-mid-year-cyber-threat-landscape-report">Deep Instinct Threat Report</a>, an analysis of the latest attack vectors, ransomware families, and overall attack volumes as penned by our Threat Research team.To read the full Voice of SecOps, 2nd Edition, download the <a href="/pdf/DI-Voice-of-SecOps-2nd-Edition-Infographic" target="_self">infographic</a> and <a href="/pdf/voice-of-secops-report-2nd-edition" target="_self">full report</a>.

Latest Voice of SecOps Report Shines Light on Post-COVID Global Security Impacts

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It should come as no surprise that ransomware and the increasing sophistication and frequency of never-before-seen threats is a top concern for cybersecurity leaders. This year has already been marked by a steady stream of highly disruptive attacks. Coupled with our new normal that involves remote work and widely distributed endpoints, cybersecurity professionals have no shortage of risks to assess and mitigate in their short and long-term planning.These are just a few of the key takeaways from new research presented by CSO in its recently released <a href="https://www.csoonline.com/article/3627274/cso-global-intelligence-report-the-state-of-cybersecurity-in-2021.html">Global Intelligence Report: The State of Cybersecurity in 2021</a>. This third-party research is based on a survey of 2,741 global security, IT, and business professionals, asking key questions related to their primary threat landscape concerns and how the evolving use of the cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), and zero trust models are being used to strengthen defenses.79% of respondents described the potential impact from financially motivated cybercrime, including ransomware, as critical or catastrophic.62% of organizations believe that a financially driven attack such as ransomware is likely over the next 12 months.One of the biggest takeaways from this year’s report is the sense that cybersecurity has reached a tipping point, where the risks associated with the ever-challenging threat landscape are moving from solely being the purview the security team, along with the broader IT organization, and have now become a key C-suite discussion point, drawing more and more attention from the highest levels of organizational leadership. Cybersecurity budgets are also increasing to meet the increased need for better protection.71% of organizations expect their security budget to increase this year.Breaches are so damaging to brand, business continuity, and revenue that business leaders are now beginning to treat their cybersecurity infrastructure with the criticality it has long deserved.According to the survey, organizations are updating security policies and controls to address remote and hybrid work models, yet key gaps remain.85% of the survey respondents are making security policy changes to accommodate new work-from-home models, which for many presented a newly increased attack surface.This is one the reasons why technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the solutions that enable zero-trust security models are experiencing rapid uptake. However, lags in emerging technologies are still present in core people and process-focused areas.These findings echo the trends we have been seeing in the industry for some time and we share in these concerns. Our recent <a href="https://info.deepinstinct.com/en/tof/cyber-threat-report-2021?_ga=2.252394313.1379725778.1628518739-166100987.1623692953&_gac=1.191447640.1626292363.CjwKCAjwlrqHBhByEiwAnLmYUPaBuwE-Wir0_i-BKJakhKq4EGd951JEVYpbaiR2qrJs4Z4yW1pOGRoC-bQQAvD_BwE">Mid-Year Threat Report</a> shared that new models and attack strategies used by cybercriminals are increasingly lucrative, and the successes criminal gangs are having with high-profile ransomware attacks will only encourage more attacks of similar nature. As much as organizations are adopting new technology to enable productivity, they should also adopt a new security framework. Shifting into a new era of security means restoring faith in true prevention.The Deep Instinct advantage centers on leveraging a true prevention-first approach to cybersecurity, bringing unparalleled threat prevention to our customers to ensure peace of mind in the current state of cybersecurity.A copy of the full IDG research study CSO Global Intelligence Report: The State of Cybersecurity in 2021 can be downloaded <a href="https://images.idgesg.net/assets/2021/07/idg-cso-gir-final20july202021.pdf">here</a>.Survey Methodology
 IDG’s Global Intelligence Report on Cybersecurity was conducted to understand cybersecurity risk, challenges, policies, practices, and investments worldwide. Data was collected via a 26-question online survey in May and June 2021. There were 2,741 respondents in IT, security, and line-of-business positions across industries and around the world.

Re-Emphasizing Prevention in the Face of Sobering Security Realities

Deep Instinct Scores 100% In SE Labs Protection Category

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Each quarter, industry-leading UK-based security testing consultancy <a href="https://selabs.uk/">SE Labs</a> tests and measures various anti-malware (aka ‘anti-virus’ or ‘Endpoint Security’) solutions to assess their effectiveness against cyber threats. The participants include many of the industry’s best-known vendors. Deep Instinct was asked to participate in the latest testing for the first time in the Q2 (April-June) 2021 <a href="https://selabs.uk/reports/enterprise-endpoint-protection-2021-q2/">Enterprise Endpoint Protection test</a>.Based on its performance across a series of criteria, SE Labs awarded Deep Instinct the highest level of validation, the AAA Award.Methodology and FindingsSE Labs approach to benchmarking is consistent each quarter and examines threats that affect the public, and more specifically, targets individuals and various organizations. SE Labs tests each solution using a combination of ‘public’ malware web-download attacks (75 samples) and targeted attacks (25 scenarios). SE Labs tests look specifically at Windows PCs and attacks that employ tactics that trick users into running malicious files or scripts.Deep Instinct was rated a maximum “100” in the overall Protection category, as our Deep Learning-powered D-Client delivered protection against all 100 threats. This result is in keeping with our “prevention-first” approach and commitment to delivering the world’s most advanced cybersecurity prevention solution to our customers and partners.Our false-positive (“efficiency”) warranty is the first and only one of its kind in the industry that commits to an incredibly low false-positive rate. As part of their evaluation, SE Labs checks “how accurately each vendor classifies legitimate applications and URLs, while also taking into account the interactions that each product has with the user. Ideally a product will either not classify a legitimate object or will classify it as safe.” Deep Instinct achieved a maximum 100 points score in this area. SE Labs noted that low false positive rate (RFR) was a strength for Deep Instinct, and we correctly classified legitimate applications and websites with no exceptions. This performance helped Deep Instinct achieve a 100% “Legitimate Accuracy Rating.”Unknown Threats – a Major Consideration CriteriaDeep Instinct excels at preventing unknown threats using its deep learning-based approach, which delivers far higher efficacy versus traditional AV or ML-based approaches. Our deep learning framework is based on a vast neural network that has been trained on hundreds of millions of files, allowing it to prevent threats autonomously and improve over time, preventing hard-to-detect threats with a high degree of accuracy and low FPR. It means the DNA of an unknown threat can be identified faster than any other approach—whether that threat vector is a PE file, a PDF, a fileless threat, or otherwise.This SE Labs report is an important third-party validation of Deep Instinct’s prevention efficacy, and we look forward to publishing further independent proof points over the coming months that further validate our leadership in the space.Want to read the full study? The SE Labs Enterprise Endpoint Protection Test report is available <a href="https://selabs.uk/reports/enterprise-endpoint-protection-2021-q2/">here</a> to view and download.

Deep Instinct Wins SE Labs AAA Award, Scores 100% in Protection Category

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These are turbulent times in the cybersecurity space: threat vectors and volumes are rising exponentially, ransomware attacks are making primetime news slots, and international diplomats are moving cyberwarfare to the top of the priority list. SecOps professionals are at the center of the storm, in a war of attrition against nation states, ransomware gangs, and other well-funded bad actors.But what is top of mind for them right now and how are they reacting to the drumbeat of new attacks and threats?We are always keen to understand the SecOps community, anticipating their needs, and responding to their concerns. That’s why we recently commissioned an independent research company (The Hayhurst Consultancy) to undertake a study of 600 senior cybersecurity subject-matter experts from organizations in the U.S., Canada, UK, Germany, and France to help answer these questions. All respondents are members of businesses with 1,000+ employees and with revenue of at least US $500M annually.The Voice of SecOps report is a window into the world of professionals in Education, Financial Services, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Professional Services & Advisory, Retail, Technology, Telecoms, and Utilities and represents a cross section of cybsersecurity-centric roles, including  CISO, CTO, ITO, Chief Security Officer, Head of Information Security, Information & Security Risk Manager, and Malware Analyst.This combination of verticals, personas, and geographies has helped deliver a rich mix of perspectives across a range of cybersecurity team priorities – giving perspective into concerns over the likelihood of a ransomware attack, the impact of false positives on productivity, and the adoption of AI-based solutions to counter zero-day threats. Country differences on some of these topics makes for fascinating reading and provides a diverse view into each region’s overriding priorities.The Voice of SecOps will be an annual study, tracking the evolution of the demanding environment in which every SecOps professional functions and providing insights into potential solutions to improve their world.Want to see the findings? Download the <a href="https://info.deepinstinct.com/hubfs/Voice%20of%20SecOps%202021/DI-voicesofsecop-infographic-US-FINAL.pdf">infographic</a> and <a href="https://info.deepinstinct.com/tof/voice-of-secops-2021">full report</a>.

The Voice of SecOps Report 2021

Unit 221B Validates >99% Zero-Day and <0.1% False Positive Threat Prevention Accuracy