Breaking Down the Real Meaning of an XDR Solution
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Learn how deception for zero day attacks helps detect and divert hidden
Proactive defenses are essential because attackers who breach your perimeter will relentlessly seek to move laterally across your network—compromising additional systems and exfiltrating data under the guise of legitimate traffic. In many cases, adversaries can initiate lateral movement in under two hours and remain undetected for weeks, giving them ample time to escalate privileges, pivot through infrastructure, and quietly embed themselves. By layering network segmentation, identity-based micro segmentation, zero trust access controls, continuous detection, and automated response, you effectively choke off east–west attack paths and reduce dwell time from weeks to minutes.
Below, you’ll see why preventing lateral movement in enterprise networks is non-negotiable—and learn seven proven tactics you can apply immediately. Each tactic includes clear steps and the tangible benefits you’ll achieve when executed correctly.
Attackers commonly exploit legitimate protocols like SMB and RDP, or use built-in OS tools such as PowerShell, to move between systems without raising alarms. These techniques often bypass firewalls, endpoint protection, and other perimeter-based defenses entirely.
Today’s adversaries waste no time after gaining initial access. In many cases, they can begin lateral movement in under two hours, exploiting, and escalating within your environment faster than traditional security workflows can react.
Even when breakout times are fast, attackers may remain hidden inside enterprise environments for nearly three weeks on average. During this time, they map internal systems, harvest credentials, and quietly exfiltrate data without triggering alarms.
Modern compliance frameworks and zero trust strategies require more than firewalls and antivirus. They demand proof of internal segmentation, identity-based access controls, and continuous validation of trust across users and devices.
When your entire network lives on one flat layer, a breach in one corner instantly becomes free rein everywhere. You need to carve your infrastructure into isolated chambers so that, even if an attacker gains a foothold, they can’t wander at will.
For example: An employee’s compromised laptop on the guest WiFi shouldn’t be able to browse your internal file shares—but today it can.
By forcing eastwest traffic through controlled chokepoints, you limit lateral movement to monitored pathways—so an attacker stuck in Zone A cannot jump to Zone B without setting off alarms.
IPonly rules leave gaps when attackers spoof addresses or coopt legitimate sessions. You need policies that say “only this user, on this device, may talk to that application,” no matter which network they’re on.
For example: Only HR workstations should ever communicate with your payroll server—even if a finance laptop ends up on the same VLAN.
When you tie segmentation to identity, you prevent attackers from hopping laterally simply by spoofing IPs—if they don’t have the right credentials, they stay locked out.
Assuming that an internal connection is safe is a recipe for disaster. With zero trust, you verify every request—especially when users or services leap from one segment to another.
For example: A rogue script tries to call a database API using a stolen service account. Without fresh authentication, it goes through.
By demanding fresh proof of identity at each hop, you break the attacker’s chain—stolen passwords alone won’t get them where they want to go without triggering your defenses.
Periodic scans leave windows of opportunity for stealthy tactics—PasstheHash or PasstheTicket can roam for days before you notice. You need alwayson monitoring that flags anomalies the moment they occur.
For example: You see an account grabbing multiple Kerberos tickets in rapid succession across different hosts—an instant red flag for ticket abuse.
Realtime detection means you spot lateral techniques during execution—not after the attacker has long since moved on—and can kick off containment immediately.
Unpatched vulnerabilities and overly permissive endpoint settings are windfalls for lateral movement. You need to raise the bar on every device so attackers find no easy inroads.
For example: An old SMB exploit on a file server lets attackers execute code remotely—straight into your core network.
By hardening endpoints and weaving EDR telemetry into your detection fabric, you eliminate many of the tricks attackers rely on—and gain visibility into every suspect action.
Even the best detection is useless if your team takes hours to triage and respond. Automation shrinks that window to minutes—isolating infected hosts, revoking credentials, and locking down segments without manual delays.
For example: A flagged SMB anomaly triggers host isolation, credential reset for the implicated user, and firewall updates—automatically.
With playbooks at the ready, you stop attackers midpivot—plus you free your analysts to focus on strategic improvements instead of repetitive tasks.
Lateral movement thrives in the gaps between teams. Regular drills and shared playbooks ensure SOC, IR, and network ops move as one when it counts.
For example: In a quarterly tabletop, your SOC spots an unusual servicetoservice call, IR practices the response, and network ops confirms the segment rules hold—everyone learns in real time.
By rehearsing these scenarios together, you forge muscle memory and refine your workflows—so when a real lateral movement threat appears, your organization reacts instantly and cohesively.
Understand how Fidelis Deception® stops attackers in their tracks.
Lateral movement becomes much harder when your architecture is segmented and your detection tools are integrated. This side-by-side table breaks down the differences between modern and traditional approaches.
| Feature | Segmented Network | Flat Network |
|---|---|---|
| Lateral Movement Risk | Contained within zones; blocked by internal firewalls | Free east–west traversal across all hosts |
| Policy Enforcement | ACLs and microsegment rules per segment | Single perimeter policy; no internal controls |
| Compliance Scope | Reduced (per zone) | Broad, complex |
| Capability | Integrated Platform (EDR + NDR + SOAR) | Legacy EDR or NDR |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | Unified telemetry across host and network | Endpoint-only OR network-only |
| Automation | Playbook-driven containment | Manual triage and response |
| Correlation | Cross-layer alert linking | Siloed alerts with limited context |
| Response Speed | Minutes via automated actions | Hours or days with manual intervention |
As you can see, modern defenses aren’t just about stronger tools—they’re about smarter architecture and faster action. Segmenting your network and unifying detection platforms dramatically reduces attacker freedom and accelerates your response. If your current setup resembles the “flat and fragmented” model, it’s time to rethink how well it can actually stop lateral movement. Let’s now explore how Fidelis Elevate can help you shift to a more secure posture.
Learn how intelligent deception can help you:
| Capability | Fidelis Elevate’s Approach | General Industry Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | Automated terrain mapping for comprehensive network insight | Manual network mapping, often incomplete |
| Monitoring | Real-time traffic analysis with deep packet inspection | Periodic scans, may miss real-time threats |
| Deception | Dynamic decoys to mislead attackers, integrated with XDR | Static honeypots, less integrated |
| Credential Protection | Blocks credential harvesting tools, automated response | Manual credential monitoring, slower response |
| Pattern Recognition | Identifies lateral movement patterns using AI and analytics | Rule-based detection, less adaptive |
| Automated Response | Isolates systems automatically, minimizes damage | Manual isolation, slower and error-prone |
By applying these seven tactics, you’ll transform lateral movement security from an afterthought into an integrated, automated defense—sealing off east–west pathways and catching stealthy intruders in minutes rather than days.
See Fidelis in action. Learn how our fast and scalable platforms provide full visibility, deep insights, and rapid response to help security teams across the World protect, detect, respond, and neutralize advanced cyber adversaries.