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September 6, 2021

What Are the Early Signs of a Ransomware Attack?

Discover the early signs of ransomware and how to defend against it. Often attack is the best form of defense with cybersecurity. Learn more here!
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Inside the SOC
Darktrace cyber analysts are world-class experts in threat intelligence, threat hunting and incident response, and provide 24/7 SOC support to thousands of Darktrace customers around the globe. Inside the SOC is exclusively authored by these experts, providing analysis of cyber incidents and threat trends, based on real-world experience in the field.
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06
Sep 2021

The deployment of ransomware is the endgame of a cyber-attack. A threat actor must have accomplished several previous steps – including lateral movement and privilege escalation – to reach this final position. The ability to detect and counter the early moves is therefore just as important as detecting the encryption itself.

Attackers are using diverse strategies – such as ‘Living off the Land’ and carefully crafting their command and control (C2) – to blend in with normal network traffic and evade traditional security defenses. The analysis below examines the Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) used by many ransomware actors by unpacking a compromise which occurred at a defense contractor in Canada.

Phases of a ransomware attack

Figure 1: Timeline of the attack.

The opening: Initial access to privileged account

The first indicator of compromise was a login on a server with an unusual credential, followed by unusual admin activity. The attacker may have gained access to the username and password in a number of ways, from credential stuffing to buying them on the Dark Web. As the attacker had privileged access from the get-go, there was no need for privilege escalation.

Lateral movement

Two days later, the attacker began to spread from the initial server. The compromised server began to send out unusual Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) commands.

It began remotely controlling four other devices – authenticating on them with a single admin credential. One of the destinations was a domain controller (DC), another was a backup server.

By using WMI – a common admin tool – for lateral movement, the attacker opted to ‘live off the land’ rather than introduce a new lateral movement tool, aiming to remain unnoticed by the company’s security stack. The unusual use of WMI was picked up by Darktrace and the timings of the unusual WMI connections were pieced together by Cyber AI Analyst.

Models:

  • New or Uncommon WMI Activity
  • AI Analyst / Extensive Chain of Administrative Connections

Establish C2

The four devices then connected to the IP 185.250.151[.]172. Three of them, including the DC and backup server, established SSL beacons to the IP using the dynamic DNS domain goog1e.ezua[.]com.

The C2 endpoints had very little open-source intelligence (OSINT) available, but it seems that a Cobalt Strike-style script had used the endpoint in the past. This suggests complex tooling, as the attacker used dynamic SSL and spoofed Google to mask their beaconing.

Interestingly, through the entirety of the attack, only these three devices used SSL connections for beaconing, while later C2 occurred over unencrypted protocols. It appears these three critical devices were treated differently to the other infected devices on the network.

Models:

  • Immediate breach of Anomalous External Activity from Critical Network Device, then several model breaches involving beaconing and SSL to dynamic DNS. (Domain Controller DynDNS SSL or HTTP was particularly specific to this activity.)

The middle game: Internal reconnaissance and further lateral movement

The attack chain took the form of two cycles of lateral movement, followed by establishing C2 at the newly controlled destinations.

Figure 2: Observed chain of lateral movement and C2.

So, after establishing C2, the DC made WMI requests to 20 further IPs over an extended period. It also scanned 234 IPs via ICMP pings, presumably in an attempt to find more hosts.

Many of these were eventually found with ransom notes, in particular when the targeted devices were hypervisors. The ransomware was likely deployed with remote commands via WMI.

Models:

  • AI Analyst / Suspicious Chain of Administrative Connections (from the initial server to the DC to the hypervisor)
  • AI Analyst / Extensive Suspicious WMI Activity (from the DC)
  • Device / ICMP Address Scan, Scanning of Multiple Devices AI Analyst incident (from the DC)

Further C2

As the second stage of lateral movement stopped, a second stage of unencrypted C2 was seen from five new devices. Each started with GET requests to the IP seen in the SSL C2 (185.250.151[.]172), which used the spoofed hostname google[.]com.

Activity started on each device with HTTP requests for a URI ending in .png, before a more consistent beaconing to the URI /books/. Eventually, the devices made POST requests to the URI /ebooks/?k= (a unique identifier for each device). All this appears to be a way of concealing a C2 beacon in what looks like plausible traffic to Google.

In this way, by encrypting some C2 connections with SSL to a Dynamic DNS domain, while crafting other unencrypted HTTP to look like traffic to google[.]com, the attacker managed to operate undetected by the company’s antivirus tools.

Darktrace identified this anomalous activity and generated a large number of external connectivity model breaches.

Models:

  • Eight breaches of Compromise / HTTP Beaconing to New Endpoint from the affected devices

Accomplish mission: Checkmate

Finally, the attacker deployed ransomware. In the ransom note, they stated that sensitive information had been exfiltrated and would be leaked if the company did not pay.

However, this was a lie. Darktrace confirmed that no data had been exfiltrated, as the C2 communications had sent far too little data. Lying about data exfiltration in order to extort a ransom is a common tactic for attackers, and visibility is crucial to determine whether a threat actor is bluffing.

In addition, Antigena – Darktrace’s Autonomous Response technology – blocked an internal download from one of the servers compromised in the first round of lateral movement, because it was an unusual incoming data volume for the client device. This was most likely the attacker attempting to transfer data in preparation for the end goal, so the block may have prevented this data from being moved for exfiltration.

Figure 3: Antigena model breach.

Figure 4: Device is blocked from SMB communication with the compromised server three seconds later.

Models:

  • Unusual Incoming Data Volume
  • High Volume Server Data Transfer

Unfortunately, Antigena was not active on the majority of the devices involved in the incident. If in active mode, Antigena would have stopped the early stages of this activity, including the unusual administrative logins and beaconing. The customer is now working to fully configure Antigena, so they benefit from 24/7 Autonomous Response.

Cyber AI Analyst investigates

Darktrace’s AI spotted and reported on beaconing from several devices including the DC, which was the highest scoring device for unusual behavior at the time of the activity. It condensed this information into three incidents – ‘Possible SSL Command and Control’, ‘Extensive Suspicious Remote WMI Activity’, and ‘Scanning of Remote Devices’.

Crucially, Cyber AI Analyst not only summarized the admin activity from the DC but also linked it back to the first device through an unusual chain of administrative connections.

Figure 5: Cyber AI Analyst incident showing a suspicious chain of administrative connections linking the first device in the chain of connections to a hypervisor where a ransom note was found via the compromised DC, saving valuable time in the investigation. It also highlights the credential common to all of the lateral movement connections.

Finding lateral movement chains manually is a laborious process well suited to AI. In this case, it enabled the security team to quickly trace back to the device which was the likely source of the attack and find the common credential in the connections.

Play the game like a machine

To get the full picture of a ransomware attack, it is important to look beyond the final encryption to previous phases of the kill chain. In the attack above, the encryption itself did not generate network traffic, so detecting the intrusion at its early stages was vital.

Despite the attacker ‘Living off the Land’ and using WMI with a compromised admin credential, as well as spoofing the common hostname google[.]com for C2 and applying dynamic DNS for SSL connections, Darktrace was able to identify all the stages of the attack and immediately piece them together into a meaningful security narrative. This would have been almost impossible for a human analyst to achieve without labor-intensive checking of the timings of individual connections.

With ransomware infections becoming faster and more frequent, with the threat of offensive AI looming closer and the Dark Web marketplace thriving, with security teams drowning under false positives and no time left on the clock, AI is now an essential part of any security solution. The board is set, the time is ticking, the stakes are higher than ever. Your move.

Thanks to Darktrace analyst Daniel Gentle for his insights on the above threat find.

IoCs:

IoCComment185.250.151[.]172IP address used for both HTTP and SSL C2goog1e.ezua[.]comDynamic DNS Hostname used for SSL C2

Darktrace model detections:

  • AI Analyst models:
  • Extensive Suspicious WMI Activity
  • Suspicious Chain of Administrative Connections
  • Scanning of Multiple Devices
  • Possible SSL Command and Control
  • Meta model:
  • Device / Large Number of model breaches
  • External connectivity models:
  • Anonymous Server Activity / Domain Controller DynDNS SSL or HTTP
  • Compromise / Suspicious TLS Beaconing to Rare External
  • Compromise / Beaconing Activity To External Rare
  • Compromise / SSL to DynDNS
  • Anomalous Server Activity / External Activity from Critical Network Device
  • Compromise / Sustained SSL or HTTP Increase
  • Compromise / Suspicious Beaconing Behaviour
  • Compromise / HTTP Beaconing to New Endpoint
  • Internal activity models:
  • Device / New or Uncommon WMI Activity
  • User / New Admin Credentials on Client
  • Device / ICMP Address Scan
  • Anomalous Connection / Unusual Incoming Data Volume
  • Unusual Activity / High Volume Server Data Transfer

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Inside the SOC
Darktrace cyber analysts are world-class experts in threat intelligence, threat hunting and incident response, and provide 24/7 SOC support to thousands of Darktrace customers around the globe. Inside the SOC is exclusively authored by these experts, providing analysis of cyber incidents and threat trends, based on real-world experience in the field.
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August 13, 2025

ISO/IEC 42001: 2023: A milestone in AI standards at Darktrace  

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Darktrace announces ISO/IEC 42001 accreditation

Darktrace is thrilled to announce that we are one of the first cybersecurity companies to achieve ISO/IEC 42001 accreditation for the responsible management of AI systems. This isn’t just a milestone for us, it’s a sign of where the AI industry is headed. ISO/IEC 42001 is quickly emerging as the global benchmark for separating vendors who truly innovate with AI from those who simply market it.

For customers, it’s more than a badge, it’s assurance that a vendor’s AI is built responsibly, governed with rigor, and backed by the expertise of real AI teams, keeping your data secure while driving meaningful innovation.

This is a critical milestone for Darktrace as we continue to strengthen our offering, mature our governance and compliance frameworks for AI management, expand our research and development capabilities, and further our commitment to the development of responsible AI.  

It cements our commitment to providing secure, trustworthy and proactive cybersecurity solutions that our customers can rely on and complements our existing compliance framework, consisting of certifications for:

  • ISO/IEC 27001:2022 – Information Security Management System
  • ISO/IEC 27018:2019 – Protection of Personally Identifiable Information in Public Cloud Environments
  • Cyber Essentials – A UK Government-backed certification scheme for cybersecurity baselines

What is ISO/IEC 42001:2023?

In response to the unique challenges that AI poses, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) introduced the ISO/IEC 42001:2023 framework in December 2023 to help organizations providing or utilizing AI-based products or services to demonstrate responsible development and use of AI systems. To achieve the accreditation, organizations are required to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve their Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS).

ISO/IEC 42001:2023 is the first of its kind, providing valuable guidance for this rapidly changing field of technology. It addresses the unique ethical and technical challenges AI poses by setting out a structured way to manage risks such as transparency, accuracy and misuse without losing opportunities. By design, it balances the benefits of innovation against the necessity of a proper governance structure.

Being certified means the organization has met the requirements of the ISO/IEC 42001 standard, is conforming to all applicable regulatory and legislative requirements, and has implemented thorough processes to address AI risks and opportunities.

What is the  ISO/IEC 42001:2023 accreditation process?

Darktrace partnered with BSI over an 11-month period to undertake the accreditation. The process involved developing and implementing a comprehensive AI management system that builds on our existing certified frameworks, addresses the risks and opportunities of using and developing cutting-edge AI systems, underpins our AI objectives and policies, and meets our regulatory and legal compliance requirements.

The AI Management System, which takes in our people, processes, and products, was extensively audited by BSI against the requirements of the standard, covering all aspects spanning the design of our AI, use of AI within the organization, and our competencies, resources and HR processes. It is an in-depth process that we’re thrilled to have undertaken, making us one of the first in our industry to achieve certification for a globally recognized AI system.

The scope of Darktrace’s certification is particularly wide due to our unique Self-Learning approach to AI for cybersecurity, which uses multi-layered AI systems consisting of varied AI techniques to address distinct cybersecurity tasks. The certification encompasses production and provision of AI systems based on anomaly detection, clustering, classifiers, regressors, neural networks, proprietary and third-party large language models for proactive, detection, response and recovery cybersecurity applications. Darktrace additionally elected to adopt all Annex A controls present in the ISO/IEC 42001 standard.

What are the benefits of an AI Management System?

While AI is not a new or novel concept, the AI industry has accelerated at an unprecedented rate in the past few years, increasing operational efficiency, driving innovation, and automating cumbersome processes in the workplace.

At the same time, the data privacy, security and bias risks created by rapid innovation in AI have been well documented.

Thus, an AI Management System enables organizations to confidently establish and adhere to governance in a way that conforms to best practice, promotes adherence, and is in line with current and emerging regulatory standards.

Not only is this vital in a unique and rapidly evolving field like AI, it additionally helps organization’s balance the drive for innovation with the risks the technology can present, helping to get the best out of their AI development and usage.

What are the key components of ISO/IEC 42001?

The Standard puts an emphasis on responsible AI development and use, requiring organizations to:

  • Establish and implement an AI Management System
  • Commit to the responsible development of AI against established, measurable objectives
  • Have in place a process to manage, monitor and adapt to risks in an effective manner
  • Commit to continuous improvement of their AI Management System

The AI Standard is similar in composition to other ISO standards, such as ISO/IEC 27001:2022, which many organizations may already be familiar with. Further information as to the structure of ISO/IEC 42001 can be found in Annex A.

What it means for Darktrace’s customers

Our certification against ISO/IEC 42001 demonstrates Darktrace’s commitment to delivering industry-leading Self-Learning AI in the name of cybersecurity resilience. Our stakeholders, customers and partners can be confident that Darktrace is responsibly, ethically and securely developing its AI systems, and is managing the use of AI in our day-to-day operations in a compliant, secure and ethical manner. It means:

  • You can trust our AI: We can demonstrate our AI is developed responsibly, in a transparent manner and in accordance with ethical rules. For more information and to learn about Darktrace's responsible AI in cybersecurity approach, please see here.
  • Our products are backed by innovation and integrity: Darktrace drives cutting edge AI innovation with ethical governance and customer trust at its core.
  • You are partnering with an organization which stays ahead of regulatory changes: In an evolving AI landscape, partnering with Darktrace helps you to stay prepared for emerging compliance and regulatory demands in your supply chain.

Achieving ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification is not just a checkpoint for us. It represents our unwavering commitment to setting a higher standard for AI in cybersecurity. It reaffirms our leadership in building and implementing responsible AI and underscores our mission to continuously innovate and lead the way in the industry.

Why ISO/IEC 42001 matters for every AI vendor you trust

In a market where “AI” can mean anything from a true, production-grade system to a thin marketing layer, ISO/IEC 42001 acts as a critical differentiator. Vendors who have earned this certification aren’t just claiming they build responsible AI, they’ve proven it through an independent, rigorous audit of how they design, deploy, and manage their systems.

For you as a customer, that means:

You know their AI is real: Certified vendors have dedicated, skilled AI teams building and maintaining systems that meet measurable standards, not just repackaging off-the-shelf tools with an “AI” label.

Your data is safeguarded: Compliance with ISO/IEC 42001 includes stringent governance over data use, bias, transparency, and risk management.

You’re partnering with innovators: The certification process encourages continuous improvement, meaning your vendor is actively advancing AI capabilities while keeping ethics and security in focus.

In short, ISO/IEC 42001 is quickly becoming the global badge of credible AI development. If your vendor can’t show it, it’s worth asking how they manage AI risk, whether their governance is mature enough, and how they ensure innovation doesn’t outpace accountability.

Annex A: The Structure of ISO/IEC 42001

ISO/IEC 42001 has requirements for which seven adherence is required for an organization seeking to obtain or maintain its certification:

  • Context of the organization – organizations need to demonstrate an understanding of the internal and external factors influencing the organization’s AI Management System.
  • Leadership – senior leadership teams need to be committed to implementing AI governance within their organizations, providing direction and support across all aspects AI Management System lifecycle.
  • Planning – organizations need to put meaningful and manageable processes in place to identify risks and opportunities related to the AI Management System to achieve responsible AI objectives and mitigate identified risks.
  • Support – demonstrating a commitment to provisioning of adequate resources, information, competencies, awareness and communication for the AI Management System is a must to ensure that proper oversight and management of the system and its risks can be achieved.
  • Operation – establishing processes necessary to support the organization’s AI system development and usage, in conformance with the organization’s AI policy, objectives and requirements of the standard. Correcting the course of any deviations within good time is paramount.
  • Performance evaluation – the organization must be able to demonstrate that it has the capability and willingness to regularly monitor and evaluate the performance of the AI Management System effectively, including actioning any corrections and introducing new processes where relevant.
  • Improvement – relying on an existing process will not be sufficient to ensure compliance with the AI Standard. Organizations must commit to monitoring of existing systems and processes to ensure that the AI Management System is continually enhanced and improved.

To assist organizations in seeking the above, four annexes are included within the AI Standard’s rubric, which outline the objectives and measures an organization may wish to implement to address risks related to the design and operation of their AI Management System through the introduction of normative controls. Whilst they are not prescriptive, Darktrace has implemented the requirements of these Annexes to enable it to appropriately demonstrate the effectiveness of its AI Management System. We have placed a heavy emphasis on Annex A which contains these normative controls which we, and other organizations seeking to achieve certification, can align with to address the objectives and measures, such as:

  • Enforcement of policies related to AI.
  • Setting responsibilities within the organization, and expectation of roles and responsibilities.
  • Creating processes and guidelines for escalating and handling AI concerns.
  • Making resources for AI systems available to users.
  • Assessing impacts of AI systems internally and externally.
  • Implementing processes across the entire AI system life cycle.
  • Understanding treatment of Data for AI systems.
  • Defining what information is, and should be available, for AI systems.
  • Considering and defining use cases for the AI systems.
  • Considering the impact of the AI System on third-party and customer relationships.

The remaining annexes provide guidance on implementing Annex A’s controls, objectives and primary risk sources of AI implementation, and considering how the AI Management System can be used across domains or sectors responsibly.

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August 12, 2025

Minimizing Permissions for Cloud Forensics: A Practical Guide to Tightening Access in the Cloud

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Most cloud environments are over-permissioned and under-prepared for incident response.

Security teams need access to logs, snapshots, and configuration data to understand how an attack unfolded, but giving blanket access opens the door to insider threats, misconfigurations, and lateral movement.

So, how do you enable forensics without compromising your security posture?

The dilemma: balancing access and security

There is a tension between two crucial aspects of cloud security that create a challenge for cloud forensics.

One aspect is the need for Security Operations Center (SOC) and Incident Response (IR) teams to access comprehensive data for investigating and resolving security incidents.

The other conflicting aspect is the principle of least privilege and minimal manual access advocated by cloud security best practices.

This conflict is particularly pronounced in modern cloud environments, where traditional physical access controls no longer apply, and infrastructure-as-code and containerization have transformed the landscape.

There are several common but less-than-ideal approaches to this challenge:

  • Accepting limited data access, potentially leaving incidents unresolved
  • Granting root-level access during major incidents, risking further compromise

Relying on cloud or DevOps teams to retrieve data, causing delays and potential miscommunication

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Challenges in container forensics

Containers present unique challenges for forensic investigations due to their ephemeral and dynamic nature. The orchestration and management of containers, whether on private clusters or using services like AWS Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS), introduce complexities in capturing and analyzing forensic data.

To effectively investigate containers, it's often necessary to acquire the underlying volume of a node or perform memory captures. However, these actions require specific Identity and Access Management (IAM) and network access to the node, as well as familiarity with the container environment, which may not always be straightforward.

An alternative method of collection in containerized environments is to utilize automated tools to collect this evidence. Since they can detect malicious activity and collect relevant data without needing human input, they can act immediately, securing evidence that might be lost by the time a human analyst is available to collect it manually.

Additionally, automation can help significantly with access and permissions. Instead of analysts needing the correct permissions for the account, service, and node, as well as deep knowledge of the container service itself, for any container from which they wish to collect logs. They can instead collect them, and have them all presented in one place, at the click of a button.

A better approach: practical strategies for cloud forensics

It's crucial to implement strategies that strike a balance between necessary access and stringent security controls.

Here are several key approaches:

1. Dedicated cloud forensics accounts

Establishing a separate cloud account or subscription specifically for forensic activities is foundational. This approach isolates forensic activities from regular operations, preventing potential contamination from compromised environments. Dedicated accounts also enable tighter control over access policies, ensuring that forensic operations do not inadvertently expose sensitive data to unauthorized users.

A separate account allows for:

  • Isolation: The forensic investigation environment is isolated from potentially compromised environments, reducing the risk of cross-contamination.
  • Tighter access controls: Policies and controls can be more strictly enforced in a dedicated account, reducing the likelihood of unauthorized access.
  • Simplified governance: A clear and simplified chain of custody for digital evidence is easier to maintain, ensuring that forensic activities meet legal and regulatory requirements.

For more specifics:

2. Cross-account roles with least privilege

Using cross-account IAM roles, the forensics account can access other accounts, but only with permissions that are strictly necessary for the investigation. This ensures that the principle of least privilege is upheld, reducing the risk of unauthorized access or data exposure during the forensic process.

3. Temporary credentials for just-in-time access

Leveraging temporary credentials, such as AWS STS tokens, allows for just-in-time access during an investigation. These credentials are short-lived and scoped to specific resources, ensuring that access is granted only when absolutely necessary and is automatically revoked after the investigation is completed. This reduces the window of opportunity for potential attackers to exploit elevated permissions.

For AWS, you can use commands such as:

aws sts get-session-token --duration-seconds 43200

aws sts assume-role --role-arn role-to-assume --role-session-name "sts-session-1" --duration-seconds 43200

For Azure, you can use commands such as:

az ad app credential reset --id <appId> --password <sp_password> --end-date 2024-01-01

For more details for Google Cloud environments, see “Create short-lived credentials for a service account” and the request.time parameter.

4. Tag-based access control

Pre-deploying access control based on resource tags is another effective strategy. By tagging resources with identifiers like "Forensics," access can be dynamically granted only to those resources that are relevant to the investigation. This targeted approach minimizes the risk of overexposure and ensures that forensic teams can quickly and efficiently access the data they need.

For example, in AWS:

Condition: StringLike: aws:ResourceTag/Name: ForensicsEnabled

Condition: StringLike: ssm:resourceTag/SSMEnabled: True

For example, in Azure:

"Condition": "StringLike(Resource[Microsoft.Resources/tags.example_key], '*')"

For example, in Google Cloud:

expression: > resource.matchTag('tagKeys/ForensicsEnabled', '*')

Tighten access, enhance security

The shift to cloud environments demands a rethinking of how we approach forensic investigations. By implementing strategies like dedicated cloud forensic accounts, cross-account roles, temporary credentials, and tag-based access control, organizations can strike the right balance between access and security. These practices not only enhance the effectiveness of forensic investigations but also ensure that access is tightly controlled, reducing the risk of exacerbating an incident or compromising the investigation.

Find the right tools for your cloud security

Darktrace delivers a proactive approach to cyber resilience in a single cybersecurity platform, including cloud coverage.

Darktrace’s cloud offerings have been bolstered with the acquisition of Cado Security Ltd., which enables security teams to gain immediate access to forensic-level data in multi-cloud, container, serverless, SaaS, and on-premises environments.

In addition to having these forensics capabilities, Darktrace / CLOUD is a real-time Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) solution built with advanced AI to make cloud security accessible to all security teams and SOCs. By using multiple machine learning techniques, Darktrace brings unprecedented visibility, threat detection, investigation, and incident response to hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

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