Intrusion Investigation (en)

Network Investigation is a systematic process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data from a computer network to identify, understand, and respond to cybersecurity incidents. The main objective of network investigation is to find the root cause of a security problem, gather digital evidence that can be presented in court, and take steps to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Intrusion Investigation

Intrusion investigation is an important part of network investigation that focuses on efforts to identify and analyze unauthorized or suspicious activity within a network. The goal is to determine how an attacker gained access to the system, what they did, and how to prevent them in the future.

General Stages of Intrusion Investigation:

1. Incident Identification:

• Detecting anomalies in system, network, or application logs.
• Receiving reports from users or intrusion detection systems (IDS).

2. Evidence Collection:

• Server Log Analysis: Collecting and analyzing logs from various sources such as firewalls, operating systems, applications, and network devices.
• Image Acquisition: Creating a forensic copy of the infected system to prevent evidence contamination.
• Memory Analysis: Examining system memory for suspicious processes or running malware.
• Network Packet Analysis: Analyzing network traffic to identify suspicious activity.

3. Analysis:

• Log Analysis: Identifying patterns, anomalies, and unusual activity in logs.
• Reverse Engineering Malware: Analyzing malware to understand its functionality and how it operates.
• Digital Footprint Analysis: Tracking attacker activity through systems and networks.

4. Reporting:

• Compiling a detailed report on the investigation findings, including a timeline of events, techniques used by the attacker, and recommendations for remediation.

Server Log Analysis

Server log analysis is the process of examining log files from various network devices and systems to identify suspicious activity. Server logs contain records of all activities that occur on a system, including login attempts, file access, system errors, and network activity.

Objectives of Server Log Analysis:

• Intrusion Detection: Identifying unauthorized or suspicious activity.
• Troubleshooting: Finding the root cause of technical issues.
• Compliance: Meeting regulatory and compliance requirements.

Log Management Solutions / Tools:

• OpenObserve: Rust-based platform for high-performance log analysis at scale.  
• Grafana Loki: Horizontally scalable log aggregation for Prometheus.  
• SigNoz: Open-source platform for log analysis, metrics, and tracing.  
• Splunk (not open source): Popular commercial platform for log management and analysis.
• ELK Stack: Free and open collection of tools for log ingestion, processing, search, and visualization (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana).  
• Graylog: Open-source platform for centralized log collection, analysis, and visualization.  
• Syslog-ng: Open-source log server for efficient log collection, filtering, and forwarding.  
• Highlight.io (not strictly log management): Focuses on real-time log aggregation and visualization for debugging and development.

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Tools:

• OpenSearch: A powerful search and analytics engine for building SIEM solutions.  
• OSSEC: A host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS) with log analysis capabilities.  
• SecurityOnion: A pre-configured, turn-key SIEM platform based on open-source tools.
• Wazuh: A unified XDR platform for endpoint security and SIEM.  
• ELK Stack: A suite of open-source tools for logging, searching, analyzing, and visualizing data (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana).
• Apache Metron: A distributed threat detection framework for large-scale security data.
• SIEMonster: A lightweight, scalable, and customizable SIEM solution.  
• OSSIM: An open-source, integrated security information and event management (SIEM) platform.  

Malware Detection

Malware detection is the process of identifying and removing malicious software from a system. Malware can include viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ransomware, and other types of malware.

Malware Detection Techniques:

• Signature-based Detection: Detecting malware based on known signatures.
• Heuristic Analysis: Analyzing malware behavior to identify new, unknown types.
• Behavioral Analysis: Studying system behavior to identify unusual activity.

Antivirus Tools:

• ClamAV: Open-source antivirus engine for email servers and file systems.  
• Comodo Antivirus: Free antivirus with a focus on proactive defense and sandboxing technology.
• Avast Free Antivirus: Popular free antivirus with real-time protection and additional security features.  
• McAfee: Comprehensive security suite offering antivirus, anti-malware, and online privacy protection.  
• Symantec: Renowned for its robust antivirus and security solutions for individuals and businesses.  
• Kaspersky: Well-regarded antivirus known for its advanced threat detection and protection capabilities.  

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Tools:

• OSSEC: Open-source host-based intrusion detection system.
• TheHive Project: Security incident response platform for collaboration and automation.
• osQuery: Low-level system investigation platform for security professionals.
• Nessus Vulnerability Scanner: Comprehensive vulnerability scanner for network and systems.
• SNORT: Open-source network intrusion detection system.
• Ettercap Project: Suite of open-source tools for network analysis and security assessment.
• Infection Monkey: Red teaming tool for simulating attacks and testing security defenses.
• Cuckoo Sandbox: Automated malware analysis system for identifying threats.
• GRR Rapid Response: Incident response framework for remote investigation and forensic analysis.

Incident Response

Incident response is a series of steps taken to identify, analyze, and respond to security incidents. The aim is to minimize the impact of the incident, recover affected systems, and prevent similar incidents in the future.

Stages of Incident Response:

1. Preparation: Developing an incident response plan, training the team, and testing procedures.
2. Detection and Analysis: Identifying incidents, collecting evidence, and analyzing the root cause.
3. Containment: Limiting the spread of the incident.
4. Eradication: Removing malware or other threats.
5. Recovery: Restoring affected systems.
6. Lessons Learned: Analyzing the incident to improve security procedures.

Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) Toos:

• n8n: Low-code automation tool to integrate and automate various apps and services.
• Fleet:' A unified platform for managing and securing cloud infrastructure.
• St2: An open-source automation platform for incident response and security operations.
• Ossec-hids: A free, open-source host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS).
• CrowdSec: A behavioral-based AI security solution that protects servers and web applications.
• Shuffle: A cybersecurity automation platform for streamlining security operations.
• Cortex: A scalable, long-term security analytics platform.
• security-onion: A free and open-source security information and event management (SIEM) platform.
• Tracecat: A distributed tracing and logging platform for microservices.

Conclusion

Network investigation is an essential part of cybersecurity. By understanding the processes and tools used in intrusion investigation, server log analysis, malware detection, and incident response, organizations can be more effective in protecting their digital assets.

Interesting Links

• Forensic: IT
• Network forensics techniques such as packet capture, disk imaging, and memory analysis.
• Popular network forensics tools like Wireshark, FTK Imager, and EnCase.
• Common cybersecurity threats and ways to address them.
• Best practices for enhancing network security.