In the introductory post of this series, we reviewed what an Active Directory (AD) service account is, explained why these privileged accounts are a serious security risk, and promised to detail 4 types of attacks on service accounts in future posts. This post explores the first of those attacks: LDAP reconnaissance, which attackers can use to discover service accounts in an IT environment while avoiding detection.

In the first post of these series we showed how an adversary can discover Active Directory service accounts with PowerShell, and the second post demonstrated how to crack their passwords using the Kerberoasting technique. Now let’s see how an attacker can exploit a compromised service account using Kerberos Silver Tickets to forge TGS tickets.

In Greek mythology, Kerberos is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the underworld. The Kerberos meaning in technology is analogous: Kerberos is an authentication protocol guards the network by enabling systems and users to prove their identity to one another before access to resources is granted. Read on to learn how Kerberos authentication works and get valuable tips for avoiding issues.

A port can be defined as a communication channel between two devices in computer networking. So, are there any security risks connected to them? An unwanted open port can be unsafe for your network. Open ports can provide threat actors access to your information technology (IT) environment if not sufficiently protected or configured correctly. Case in point: in 2017, cybercriminals exploited port 445 to spread WannaCry ransomware.

Malware attacks are escalating. For example, there were 57 million IoT malware attacks in the first half of 2022, a staggering 77% increase year to date. Unfortunately, traditional signature-based antivirus and sand-boxing technologies are insufficient against today’s sophisticated attacks. In particular, advanced persistent threat (APT) viruses, Trojan malware and zero-day malware often evade these defenses.

Insider threat incidents have increased by 44% over the past two years, and the cost of an incident now tops $15.3 million, according to the 2022 Cost of Insider Threats report from Ponemon. To defend against this pressing security — and business — risk, organizations need a comprehensive insider threat detection strategy. This article provides extensive guidance to help you get started building an effective program.

Insufficiently protected open ports can put your IT environment at serious risk. Threat actors often seek to exploit open ports and their applications through spoofing, credential sniffing and other techniques. For example, in 2017, cybercriminals spread WannaCry ransomware by exploiting an SMB vulnerability on port 445. Other examples include the ongoing campaigns targeting Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) service running on port 3389.