Discover the Top 5 XDR Use Cases for Today’s Cyber Threat Landscape
Learn how addressing security gaps using XDR can enhance threat detection, streamline
Lateral movement plays a crucial role in the attack chain. Cybercriminals guide themselves through networks after they breach the first point of entry. This technique helps threat actors reach further into systems and locate valuable assets. They can accomplish their goals without triggering the usual security alerts.
To prevent lateral movement attacks, it’s essential to understand how attackers use the lateral movement technique. Attackers usually start by breaching a single endpoint. They might use phishing campaigns, exploit vulnerabilities in internet-facing applications, or use stolen credentials. The next step involves mapping out the network environment. Attackers use several methods to learn about the network infrastructure:
Built-in system utilities help adversaries stay hidden. To name just one example, commands like Netstat show current network connections, while IPConfig gives access to network configuration details. On top of that, PowerShell lets attackers quickly spot network systems where the compromised user has local admin access. These legitimate tools help blend attack activities with normal network operations.
Network mapping leads attackers to their next target: valid login credentials. Their sophisticated theft techniques include:
Pass-the-Hash attacks work around standard authentication. They capture valid password hashes without needing the actual password. Pass-the-Ticket methods use stolen Kerberos tickets for authentication. Tools like Mimikatz pull cached passwords or authentication certificates from memory.
Privilege escalation happens in two ways. Horizontal movement targets accounts at the same privilege level. Vertical escalation goes after higher-privileged accounts. Both methods let attackers step by step access more sensitive systems until they reach administrative privileges.
Traditional security measures often miss to identify lateral movement access because attackers use legitimate tools and credentials that look like normal network traffic. Access Control Lists and VLANs don’t deal very well with modern dynamic environments. As with next-generation firewalls that work for north-south traffic, they can’t handle the big number of east-west communications in today’s networks.
Rule-based detection systems can only spot known threats. This leaves networks open to new attack strategies. Fidelis Deception® solves these problems by creating realistic decoys that attract attackers during lateral movement. These decoys provide early warning signs before critical assets fall into the wrong hands.
Understand how Fidelis Deception® stops attackers in their tracks.
Cybercriminals use many techniques to move through networks after they establish their first foothold. Security teams need to understand these common methods to put effective countermeasures in place.
This technique lets attackers log into remote services without knowing the actual password. They capture and reuse password hashes stored in memory after a user logs in. Instead of cracking the hash to find the password, attackers simply pass the hash straight to the authentication system. This attack is dangerous because it bypasses both password requirements and account lockout rules.
Pass-the-Hash attacks happen mostly on Windows networks and target domain controllers where login credentials flow constantly. Once attackers succeed, they can move naturally between systems without creating suspicious login records. This makes it hard for regular security tools to detect the attack, since they look for failed logins or brute force patterns.
Attackers often target Secure Shell (SSH) connections in Linux and Unix systems. After they can access sensitive data, they can steal SSH keys from authorized_keys files or agent forwarding sessions. They can also change SSH settings to keep their access or create backdoor accounts.
SSH hijacking rarely sets off any alarms because the connections look normal to monitoring systems. The attackers can set up command-and-control channels that look just like regular admin traffic. Fidelis Deception® solves this by using SSH decoys that alert security teams right away when unauthorized connections happen.
Windows administrative shares (C$, ADMIN$, IPC$) give attackers another way to move around networks. These hidden network shares exist by default on Windows systems and let administrators access file systems and processes remotely. Attackers who have the right credentials can use these shares to copy malware, access sensitive data, or run commands from far away.
Tools like PsExec use these admin shares to run processes on remote systems, which makes them popular with both IT administrators and attackers. Yes, it is this dual-use nature that creates big detection challenges, since malicious activities often look just like normal admin tasks.
Deception technology transforms traditional security approaches by creating calculated traps for attackers. This strategy gives defenders a clear edge as they detect lateral movement attacks.
Deception technology places fake assets across networks that look legitimate but act as tripwires for malicious activity. These decoys must naturally blend with real assets to work. To cite an instance, our Fidelis Deception® solution studies your environment and places decoys that mirror actual network components. High-fidelity alerts trigger right away when attackers touch these decoys—an action legitimate users would never take.
The technology stands out by capturing threats that slip past traditional security tools, particularly during lateral movement phases. Your attack surface takes a new shape, making attackers walk through a minefield of traps that expose them early.
Strong deception strategies use different types of assets:
These assets combine to form a complete deception layer that catches attackers whatever lateral movement technique they use.
Deception technology does more than detect threats—it provides vital threat intelligence about attacker methods. Security teams can watch cybercriminals’ tactics, techniques, and procedures as they interact with decoys, without putting actual assets at risk. This intelligence helps organizations build stronger defenses against future attacks.
Fidelis Deception® solution merges naturally with existing security infrastructure. Machine learning helps the platform deploy convincing decoys based on asset risk profiles. The solution creates fake credentials and breadcrumbs that draw attackers away from valuable data. Active Directory integration secures critical infrastructure by spotting unauthorized queries and initial access attempts.
Learn key considerations for effective enterprise deception strategy.
Deception technology creates a powerful early warning system for detecting lateral movement. By strategically placing decoys throughout your network, it helps detect attacker behavior that would otherwise go unnoticed for days or even weeks.
When attackers engage with deception assets, they trigger immediate, high-fidelity alerts. These alerts are highly reliable because legitimate users have no reason to interact with decoys. Fidelis Deception® surfaces these alerts through an interactive dashboard that visually maps attacker movement. This live threat intelligence helps security teams monitor the situation as it unfolds.
Analysts can also replay the attack timeline to understand how the threat progressed. This visibility offers crucial insights into the attack path and the adversary’s end goal.
The longer attackers remain undetected, the more damage they can cause. With an average dwell time of around 10 days and attackers needing only 16 hours to compromise critical assets, early detection is essential. Deception technology shortens this gap by alerting teams the moment lateral movement begins, allowing for faster containment and mitigation.
Deception doesn’t just detect threats—it proactively prevents attackers from reaching sensitive systems.
Fidelis Deception® halts attacker activity before they can escalate privileges, set up persistence mechanisms, or exfiltrate data. This containment prevents attackers from exploring the network freely, significantly lowering the risk of data loss or operational disruption. The result is a marked reduction in remediation time, legal exposure, and reputational damage.
By watching how attackers interact with decoys, deception-based threat detection techniques provides rich behavioral intelligence. Security teams can analyze tools, commands, and movement paths without endangering real assets. This data helps teams understand the attacker’s methods and objectives, uncovering vulnerabilities in the network.
These insights fuel more effective threat hunting and allow organizations to strengthen their defenses based on actual, observed attack patterns rather than assumptions or static rules.
Lateral movement remains one of the toughest attack vectors that organizations struggle to detect and alleviate. This piece shows how deception-based threat detection technology changes the security game by creating an environment where attackers give themselves away through their interactions with strategically placed decoys. Security teams now have the advantage against sophisticated threat actors who depend on stealth and legitimate credentials to move through networks undetected.
Fidelis Deception® emerges as a powerful solution to the core challenges that traditional security tools don’t deal very well with. Our technology actively involves attackers instead of just monitoring network traffic or using signature-based detection. We force them to make decisions that expose their presence. This hands-on approach cuts down dwell time and provides valuable information about attacker methods.
The advantages go beyond just catching attackers. Security teams using Fidelis Deception® get a clear view of attacker behavior and understand the tactics used during lateral movement attempts. Organizations can build stronger security based on real attack patterns rather than theories.
On top of that, decoy interactions generate high-quality alerts that reduce alert fatigue—a common issue in security operations centers. Regular users have no reason to touch deception assets, so each alert points to real attacker activity that needs immediate action.
Cyberthreats keep evolving, and organizations need smarter defense strategies. Fidelis Deception® brings a tested approach that works with existing security investments. The technology turns your network into an active defense system where deceptive assets both detect threats and gather intelligence.
Organizations looking to boost their security should prioritize deception for lateral movement detection to expose intruders who rely on stealth and insider privileges.. The best way to stop sophisticated attackers is to change the rules in your favor—exactly what Fidelis Deception® does with its innovative approach to cybersecurity.
Take a closer look at Fidelis Deception® with a tailored demo.
Deception technology is designed to detect threats early with low false positive rates by deploying realistic decoys throughout a network. These decoys act as lures to attract and expose attackers, providing early warning of potential breaches and valuable insights into attacker behavior.
Deception technology significantly reduces the impact of lateral movement by triggering immediate alerts when attackers interact with decoys. This early detection dramatically shortens attacker dwell time, preventing them from locating and compromising valuable assets before security teams can respond.
Common deceptive assets include honeypots (decoy systems mimicking real servers or applications), honey tokens (fake credentials), breadcrumbs (subtle clues leading to decoys), and canary files (documents that alert when accessed). These work together to create a comprehensive deception layer throughout the network.
Unlike traditional security tools that passively monitor for known threats, deception technology actively engages attackers by creating deliberate traps. This proactive approach allows for the detection of sophisticated threats that might bypass conventional security measures, especially during lateral movement phases.
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