Cyber Security Analyst

Full Answer Section

     

• Network Assessment: Analyze network traffic logs to pinpoint suspicious activity leading up to the attack, including potential entry points and data exfiltration attempts.
• System Examination: Work with IT personnel to identify compromised systems and isolate them to prevent further damage and lateral movement within the network.
• User Interviews: Interview network administrators, IT staff, and potentially targeted users to gather information about suspicious emails, unusual system behavior, or unauthorized access attempts.

2. Reconstruct the Incident Timeline:

• Log Analysis: Analyze firewall logs, system logs, and application logs to reconstruct the sequence of events. Identify the initial breach point, compromised accounts, attacker actions within the network, and the deployment of the ransomware.
• Timeline Creation: Develop a comprehensive timeline outlining the attack's stages, including the initial intrusion, privilege escalation, lateral movement, data exfiltration (if applicable), and the deployment of the ransomware.

3. Collect and Secure Digital Evidence:

• Evidence Identification: Based on the attack type and reconstructed timeline, identify potential digital evidence. This could include compromised server files, modified system configurations, ransomware samples, network traffic logs, user activity logs, email records, and communication logs with the attackers (if any).
• Data Preservation: Secure and preserve identified evidence using forensic techniques. Employ write-blocking tools to prevent data alteration. Create a chain of custody document to maintain evidence integrity throughout the investigation.
• Data Acquisition: Depending on the location of evidence (servers, workstations, cloud storage), acquire forensic copies of the data using forensic imaging tools to avoid altering the original source.

4. Analyze the Evidence Using Inductive and Deductive Forensic Tools:

• Forensic Analysis: Analyze the forensic copies of acquired evidence using forensic software to identify ransomware signatures, suspicious registry entries, compromised files, and network communication patterns.
• Malware Analysis: Analyze captured ransomware samples to understand its functionality, potential vulnerabilities exploited, and communication methods with the attackers' command and control server.
• Incident Response Tools: Utilize incident response tools to analyze network traffic logs, identify anomalies, and potentially pinpoint attacker IP addresses or communication methods used during the attack.
• Threat Intelligence: Leverage threat intelligence feeds to identify similarities with known DarkSide ransomware attacks, their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). This may provide insights into the attacker group's identity and motivations.

5. Establish Linkages, Associations and Reconstructions:

• Correlate Evidence: Correlate findings from log analysis, forensic analysis, user interviews, and threat intelligence to build a cohesive picture of the attack. Identify connections between compromised accounts, suspicious activities, exfiltrated data (if applicable), and communication with the attackers.
• Attacker Profile: Based on the investigation's findings, attempt to create a profile of the attacker group, including their skill level, target motivation (financial gain), and potentially even their location (based on IP geolocation analysis, with caution due to spoofing techniques).
• Reconstruction Report: Prepare a comprehensive report summarizing the investigation's findings, including the reconstructed timeline, identified evidence, analysis results, potential attacker profile, and recommendations for future cybersecurity improvements.

6. Use the Evidence for the Prosecution of the Perpetrators:

• Collaboration with Law Enforcement: Provide clear and concise reports and presentations to Law Enforcement, highlighting the digital evidence collected, its analysis results, and its connection to the attackers' activities.
• Legal Considerations: Work with legal counsel to ensure proper handling and chain of custody documentation for the digital evidence to be admissible in court.
• Cooperation with International Authorities: If the investigation leads to potential perpetrators outside the US, collaborate with Law Enforcement and international agencies to facilitate further investigation and potential prosecution.

By following these steps, we can effectively investigate the cybercrime at Colonial Pipeline, collect and analyze digital evidence, and potentially identify the perpetrators. This information will be crucial for Law Enforcement to hold those responsible accountable and prevent similar attacks in the future.  

Sample Answer

     

Investigating a Digital Crime at Colonial Pipeline (June 2021)

Scenario: You are the new Cybersecurity Analyst at Colonial Pipeline, a major American oil pipeline operator. In May 2021, the company was targeted by a DarkSide ransomware attack, forcing a shutdown of operations and causing fuel shortages across the East Coast. You will be assisting Law Enforcement in investigating this cybercrime.

Cybersecurity Investigation & Forensic Methodology:

1. Investigate the Crime Scene (Colonial Pipeline Network):

• Initial Contact: Liaise with Law Enforcement to understand the attack details, ransom demands, and affected systems.