Invited Talk
Invited Talk on "State-Sponsored Cyber Attacks Monitoring and Engaging Skilled Threat Actor"
Dr. Venkata Sai Charan Putrevu
Postdoctoral Researcher, NYU Center for Cyber Security, New York University
- Date
- Apr 10, 2025
- Time
- 10:00 AM
- Venue
- CS-LH2, Ground floor, EECS building, IIT Hyderabad
Abstract
APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) is a class of cyber threat which is often realized through advanced tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) by highly resourced cyber-attack groups, eponymously named APT groups. These APT groups work with specific objectives such as espionage, data theft, disruption, or destruction of critical systems. Their usual modus operandi is to infiltrate and remain undetected within a target organization’s network for an extended period waiting for commands from their command & control servers handled by the APT group operators. The APT groups are usually state-sponsored or highly organized and resourceful cybercriminal groups, making identification and attribution of persistent threats inside an organization extremely challenging even for seasoned security experts. The evolution of TTPs used by APT groups also make it very difficult to attribute the persistent threats when detected through forensic methods. There is a rapid rise in target-specific cyber-attacks worldwide due to proliferation of the state sponsored APT groups. In 2021, the Red Echo group attributed to China by a threat intelligence company “Recorded Future” was found to be lurking in several Indian ports and power grids infrastructures. Further incidents have been uncovered since then, and they have necessitated research, discovery, tracking, and eviction of persistent threats from Indian critical infrastructure. These attacks target sensitive sectors such as government, defense, and critical infrastructure, causing significant economic and national security implications. Although traditional and hybrid methods for detecting APTs are available, they are becoming less effective against the robust new generation of stealthy and persistent malware and advanced evasion techniques.Given the virulence of these APT groups in Indian cyberspace, this talk focuses on mechanisms for collecting organization-specific threat intelligence, designing and orchestrating tailored deception strategies through strategically positioned attack paths to lure APT threat actors, and developing camouflaged applications for intelligence gathering. Collectively, this talk highlights ongoing efforts in combating APTs and enhancing the effectiveness and credibility of monitoring, detection, and attribution mechanisms.