While the debate continues as to whether what we call fileless malware does not use any files, no one disputes the danger this type of malware poses. Fileless malware attacks are easier to carry out, harder to detect, and generally more effective than traditional attacks.
They would be the source of a large majority of intrusions. Carbon Black's " 2017 Thread Report " reveals that they accumulate 52% of attacks in 2017. The Ponemon Institute even found that that same year, 77% of successful attacks were fileless, also specifying that this type of attack An attack is ten times more likely to achieve its goal than a file-based attack (Ponemon Institute, The State of Endpoint Security Risk Report, November 2017).
Fileless malware is malicious code that only exists in memory. It is not installed on the hard drive of the target computer. Written directly in RAM, this code is injected into a running process, where it can be used to launch an attack. Also, because it does not exist as a file itself, antivirus software and intrusion prevention systems are often unable to detect it.
It hides behind authorized programs to go unnoticed. In short, fileless malware turns Windows against itself. Attacks target default Windows tools, such as PowerShell or Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), to perform malicious operations. This "fingerprint-less" intrusion uses legitimate programs to perform the intended operations while remaining virtually undetectable with traditional detection methods. The infection may remain active until the system is restarted. The fileless malware is then purged out of the infected system's memory, giving hackers time to steal data or download more persistent malware for future attacks.
It is not, however, completely undetectable. Logs can be viewed and audited to spot large amounts of data leaving the system, for example, and compare that information to baseline (benchmark) behavior. In most cases, you can also see if a malicious script has been hidden in the OS registry file. Yet by the time this malware is detected, it is often too late to prevent damage.
6 Tips for Avoiding Fileless Malware
1) Implement advanced application control that prevents malware and scripts from running. By prohibiting unnecessary scripting languages, you can limit the structures that can be used to secretly execute commands on the host system.
2) Apply memory protection techniques and disable macros, if possible. If you can't turn off macros, consider applying digital macro signature technologies to recognize which ones the company allows.
3) Use the most advanced antivirus technologies. New techniques can be used to deal with the problem of malware without files in the kernel to solve the problem.
4) Be sure to implement strict privilege management practices and isolation policies. By giving users the rights they need to do their jobs (no more and no less), you ensure that the exposed user credentials do not allow access to more than is necessary, in case they drop. in the wrong hands. Likewise, by using isolation strategies, you limit the scope of possible fileless malware intrusions.
5) Be irreproachable in applying the fixes. Never let your client or server workstations slip out of the security patch application cycle, to ensure you have the best possible protection against threats. If this is not possible, leverage data collection tools to get a better view of your most vulnerable systems and rely on techniques other than patches, including web application firewalls, to protect potentially exposed systems.
6) Apply security policies to removable devices. Locking user devices, such as flash drives, can also help you deal with fileless malware.
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