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October 18, 2022

Kill Chain Insights: Detecting AutoIT Malware Compromise

Discover how AutoIt malware operates and learn strategies to combat this emerging threat in our latest blog post.
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.
Written by
Joel Davidson
Cyber Analyst
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18
Oct 2022

Introduction 

Good defence is like an onion, it has layers. Each part of a security implementation should have checks built in so that if one wall is breached, there are further contingencies. Security aficionados call this ‘defence in depth’, a military concept introduced to the cyber-sphere in 2009 [1]. Since then, it has remained a central tenet when designing secure systems, digital or otherwise [2]. Despite this, the attacker’s advantage is ever-present with continued development of malware and zero-day exploits. No matter how many layers a security platform has, how can organisations be expected to protect against a threat they do not know or even understand? 

Take the case of one Darktrace customer, a government-contracted manufacturing company located in the Americas. This company possesses a modern OT and IT network comprised of several thousand devices. They have dozens of servers, a few of which host Microsoft Exchange. Every week, these few mail servers receive hundreds of malicious payloads which will ultimately attempt to make their way into over a thousand different inboxes while dodging different security gateways. Had the RESPOND portion of Darktrace for Email been properly enabled, this is where the story would have ended. However, in June 2022 an employee made an instinctual decision that could have potentially cost the company its time, money, and reputation as a government contractor. Their crime: opening an unknown html file attached to a compelling phishing email. 

Following this misstep, a download was initiated which resulted in compromise of the system via vulnerable Microsoft admin tools from endpoints largely unknown to conventional OSINT sources. Using these tools, further malicious connectivity was accomplished before finally petering out. Fortunately, their existing Microsoft security gateway was up to date on the command and control (C2) domains observed in this breach and refused the connections.

Darktrace detected this activity at every turn, from the initial email to the download and subsequent attempted C2. Cyber AI Analyst stitched the events together for easy understanding and detected Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) that were not yet flagged in the greater intelligence community and, critically, did this all at machine speed. 

So how did the attacker evade action for so long? The answer is product misconfiguration - they did not refine their ‘layers’.  

Attack Details

On the night of June 8th an employee received a malicious email. Darktrace detected that this email contained a html attachment which itself contained links to endpoints 100% rare to the network. This email also originated from a never-before-seen sender. Although it would usually have been withheld based on these factors, the customer’s Darktrace/Email deployment was set to Advisory Mode meaning it continued through to the inbox. Late the next day, this user opened the attachment which then routed them to the 100% rare endpoint ‘xberxkiw[.]club’, a probable landing page for malware that did not register on OSINT available at the time.

Figure 1- Popular OSINT VirusTotal showing zero hits against the rare endpoint 

Only seconds after reaching the endpoint, Darktrace detected the Microsoft BITS user agent reaching out to another 100% rare endpoint ‘yrioer[.]mikigertxyss[.]com’, which generated a DETECT/Network model breach, ‘Unusual BITS Activity’. This was immediately suspicious since BITS is a deprecated and insecure windows admin tool which has been known to facilitate the movement of malicious payloads into and around a network. Upon successfully establishing a connection, the affected device began downloading a self-professed .zip file. However, Darktrace detected this file to be an extension-swapped .exe file. A PCAP of this activity can be seen below in Figure 2.

Figure 2- PCAP highlighting BITs service connections and false .zip (.exe) download

This activity also triggered a correlating breach of the ‘Masqueraded File Transfer’ model and pushed a high-fidelity alert to the Darktrace Proactive Threat Notification (PTN) service. This ensured both Darktrace and the customer’s SOC team were alerted to the anomalous activity.

At this stage the local SOC were likely beginning their triage. However further connections were being made to extend the compromise on the employee’s device and the network. The file they downloaded was later revealed to be ‘AutoIT3.exe’, a default filename given to any AutoIt script. AutoIt scripts do have legitimate use cases but are often associated with malicious activity for their ability to interact with the Windows GUI and bypass client protections. After opening, these scripts would launch on the host device and probe for other weaknesses. In this case, the script may have attempted to hunt passwords/default credentials, scan the local directory for common sensitive files, or scout local antivirus software on the device. It would then share any information gathered via established C2 channels.  

After the successful download of this mismatched MIME type, the device began attempting to further establish C2 to the endpoint ‘dirirxhitoq[.]kialsoyert[.]tk’. Even though OSINT still did not flag this endpoint, Darktrace detected this outreach as suspicious and initiated its first Cyber AI Analyst investigation into the beaconing activity. Following the sixth connection made to this endpoint on the 10th of June, the infected device breached C2 models, such as ‘Agent Beacon (Long Period)’ and ‘HTTP Beaconing to Rare Destination’. 

As the beaconing continued, it was clear that internal reconnaissance from AutoIt was not widely achieved, although similar IOCs could be detected on at least two other internal devices. This may represent other users opening the same malicious email, or successful lateral movement and infection propagation from the initial user/device. However comparatively, these devices did not experience the same level of infection as the first employee’s machine and never downloaded any malicious executables. AutoIt has a history of being used to deliver information stealers, which suggests a possible motivation had wider network compromise been successful [3].

Thankfully, after the 10th of June no further exploitation was observed. This was likely due to the combined awareness and action brought by the PTN alerting, static security gateways and action from the local security team. The company were protected thanks to defence in depth.  

Darktrace Coverage

Despite this, the role of Darktrace itself cannot be understated. Darktrace/Email was integral to the early detection process and provided insight into the vector and delivery methods used by this attacker. Post-compromise, Darktrace/Network also observed the full range of suspicious activity brought about by this incursion. In particular, the AI analyst feature played a major role in reducing the time for the SOC team to triage by detecting and flagging key information regarding some of the earliest IOCs.

Figure 3- Sample information pulled by AI analyst about one of the involved endpoints

Alongside the early detection, there were several instances where RESPOND/Network would have intervened however autonomous actions were limited to a small test group and not enabled widely throughout the customer’s deployment. As such, this activity continued unimpeded- a weak layer. Figure 4 highlights the first Darktrace RESPOND action which would have been taken.

Figure 4- Upon detecting the download of a mismatched mime from a rare endpoint, Darktrace RESPOND would have blocked all connections to the rare endpoint on the relevant port in a targeted manner

This Darktrace RESPOND action provides a precise and limited response by blocking the anomalous file download. However, after continued anomalous activity, RESPOND would have strengthened its posture and enforced stronger curbs across the wider anomalous activity. This stronger enforcement is a measure designed to relegate a device to its established norm. The breach which would generate this response can be seen below:

Figure 5- After a prolonged period of anomalous activity, Darktrace RESPOND would have stepped in to enforce the typical pattern of life observed on this device

Although Darktrace RESPOND was not fully enabled, this company had an extra layer of security in the PTN service, which alerted them just minutes after the initial file download was detected, alongside details relevant to the investigation. This ensured both Darktrace analysts and their own could review the activity and begin to isolate and remediate the threat. 

Concluding Insights

Thankfully, with multiple layers in their security, the customer managed to escape this incident largely unscathed. Quick and comprehensive email and network detection, customer alerting and local gateway blocking C2 connections ensured that the infection did not have leeway to propagate laterally throughout the network. However, even though this infection did not lead to catastrophe, the fact that it happened in the first place should be a learning point. 

Had RESPOND/Email been properly configured, this threat would have been stopped before reaching its intended recipients, removing the need to rely on end-users as a security measure. Furthermore, had RESPOND/Network been utilized beyond a limited test group, this activity would have been blocked at every other step of the network-level kill chain. From the anomalous MIME download to the establishment of C2, Darktrace RESPOND would have been able to effectively isolate and quarantine this activity to the host device, without any reliance on slow-to-update OSINT sources. RESPOND allows for the automation of time-sensitive security decisions and adds a powerful layer of defence that conventional security solutions cannot provide. Although it can be difficult to relinquish human ownership of these decisions, doing so is necessary to prevent unknown attackers from infiltrating using unknown vectors to achieve unknown ends.  

In conclusion, this incident demonstrates an effective case study around detecting a threat with novel IOCs. However, it is also a reminder that a company’s security makeup can always be improved. Overall, when building security layers in a company’s ‘onion’, it is great to have the best tools, but it is even greater to use them in the best way. Only with continued refining can organisations guarantee defence in depth. 

Thanks to Connor Mooney and Stefan Rowe for their contributions.

Appendices

Darktrace Model Detections

·      Anomalous File / EXE from Rare External Location 

·      Compromise / Agent Beacon (Long Period) 

·      Compromise / HTTP Beaconing to Rare Destination 

·      Device / Large Number of Model Breaches 

·      Device / Suspicious Domain 

·      Device / Unusual BITS Activity 

·      Enhanced Monitoring: Anomalous File / Masqueraded File Transfer 

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.
Written by
Joel Davidson
Cyber Analyst

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July 22, 2025

Global Telecom Provider: Powering and Protecting the World's Data Giants

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This global leader plays a critical role in keeping the world connected. The company works with some of the largest and most influential public and private organizations in the world to enable ultra-fast data transmission.

Safeguarding the systems that keep the world connected

Standing at the forefront of global connectivity, this industry leader designs and manages large-scale communications systems that power the world’s most data-intensive enterprises – including social media giants, hyperscale cloud providers, and major data center operators. Given the scale, confidentiality, and sensitivity of the systems and data it helps transport, the company faces complex cybersecurity challenges.

Protecting sensitive customer data

Most of the organization’s projects are custom-designed and highly proprietary, making data privacy and Intellectual Property (IP) protection critical to maintaining trust and confidentiality with customers. In an industry where every competitor knows the landscape intimately, any loss of data could cause significant damage.

International security implications

The company faces a broad range of advanced cyber threats – from corporate espionage and supply chain risks to cyber-physical attacks on critical infrastructure. Its international footprint adds complexity, including cross-border regulatory compliance. A successful attack could disrupt business, compromise IP, or trigger wider consequences like disruptions to international data transfers and other critical services.

The global leader works closely with communities to anticipate threats that could impact the global communications network at large.

In this environment, cybersecurity is a foundation for international trust,” said the organization’s CISO.

Building a resilient cybersecurity strategy from the ground up

The CISO had the rare opportunity to build the IT and cybersecurity infrastructure from scratch. "Initially, we bought what everyone else buys,” referencing the traditional mix of firewalls, routers, and antivirus tools. “But I knew we needed to do more.”

Self-Learning AI – “the missing piece”

With solid perimeter defenses in place, the security team sought deeper protection inside the network. Darktrace’s Self-Learning AI stood out. “Unlike other solutions, Darktrace’s AI looks beyond known threat signatures, learning what’s normal for our environment and flagging what’s not. That was the missing piece – something that could help us even when everything else failed.”

A solution and partnership that delivered

The CISO said he appreciated the ability to observe Darktrace in action before full deployment, noting that the Darktrace team was there every step of the way, providing guidance and expertise to ensure he got the most out of his investment.

Partnership was especially valuable given the company’s explosive 400% growth over the last six years. As resources were stretched and priorities shifted, “Darktrace remained patient and responsive. We’re slow and methodical, but the Darktrace support team was phenomenal, never losing momentum and earning our trust.”

A unified cybersecurity ecosystem

Today, the global leader is using the Darktrace ActiveAI Security Platform™ as a core part of its layered defense strategy, including:

The CISO appreciates how, as a unified cybersecurity platform, Darktrace has an intuitive user interface, which makes it easier for his team to investigate alerts visually, even without deep technical expertise.

Advancing defenses while impacting the bottom line

A 24/7 “safety net”

The fact that this company has never been hacked is the clearest proof it made the right decision with Darktrace, said the CISO. Initially rolled out in Human Confirmation Mode, meaning it would not take autonomous action without explicit approval from the security team, Darktrace immediately uncovered threats and anomalies that other tools had missed.

Darktrace acts as a must-have safety net—ready to step in when other tools fall short,” said the CISO.

From monitoring internal behavior and identifying unusual attack patterns, to autonomously neutralizing threats after hours, the platform provides peace of mind in a high-stakes industry. “Darktrace is my dark horse – the thing I have in my back pocket if everything else fails. It’s here to save the day, save my company, and maybe even save my career.”

Autonomous capabilities free up time for skilled analysts

Darktrace’s AI-powered detection and response capabilities are deeply embedded in the team’s day-to-day operations, autonomously investigating and responding to the majority of potential threats. Cyber AI Analyst conducted a total of 2,776 total investigations within three months, averaging just 12 minutes to autonomously investigate an incident. Of those 2,776 investigations, Darktrace resolved 2,671 (96%) autonomously and escalated only 105 (4%) to analysts. Darktrace has dramatically reduced alert fatigue and freed up analysts to focus on what really matters, saving the security team 486 analyst hours on investigations within a 20-day period.

From noise to actionable insight

Darktrace delivers meaningful data and meaningful alerts. “If Darktrace escalates an incident, we drop everything and work on that. We trust in Darktrace.” When analysts do need to investigate an incident, Darktrace’s forensic logs and guided remediation suggestions have slashed the time analysts spend on investigations by four to five times.

Stronger security. Lower cost.

The CISO says, “Darktrace is a money-saver for our organization, making continued investments an easy sell to the CEO and the board.”  When he found himself down a resource after a member of the security team left the organization, the CISO turned to Darktrace Managed Threat Detection and Response services for 24/7 expert support. “It was a no brainer. We got better coverage, higher skill levels, and around-the-clock support – all for less than what we would pay to employ a single analyst.”

Scaling securely into the future

Securing networks in motion  

The organization is preparing to scale both its operations and security posture across existing distributed, mobile and deployable communications networks that historically have been disconnected. Some of these networks are in constant motion and operating in some of the world’s most volatile regions. “Darktrace will act as an autonomous defender, monitoring for anomalous behavior and intervening, when necessary, especially during those dangerous times when an asset ‘goes dark’ and becomes disconnected from the broader network,” said the CISO.

Applying AI strategically

As the organization continues to evaluate where and how to apply AI, its emphasis will be on technologies that can act independently to contain threats – especially in environments where human response may be delayed. “It’s about using the right kind of AI for the right challenge. That’s why we’re investing in Darktrace, with tools that can adapt and learn even in isolation and provide real-time protection wherever we operate.”

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July 17, 2025

Introducing the AI Maturity Model for Cybersecurity

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AI adoption in cybersecurity: Beyond the hype

Security operations today face a paradox. On one hand, artificial intelligence (AI) promises sweeping transformation from automating routine tasks to augmenting threat detection and response. On the other hand, security leaders are under immense pressure to separate meaningful innovation from vendor hype.

To help CISOs and security teams navigate this landscape, we’ve developed the most in-depth and actionable AI Maturity Model in the industry. Built in collaboration with AI and cybersecurity experts, this framework provides a structured path to understanding, measuring, and advancing AI adoption across the security lifecycle.

Overview of AI maturity levels in cybersecurity

Why a maturity model? And why now?

In our conversations and research with security leaders, a recurring theme has emerged:

There’s no shortage of AI solutions, but there is a shortage of clarity and understanding of AI uses cases.

In fact, Gartner estimates that “by 2027, over 40% of Agentic AI projects will be canceled due to escalating costs, unclear business value, or inadequate risk controls. Teams are experimenting, but many aren’t seeing meaningful outcomes. The need for a standardized way to evaluate progress and make informed investments has never been greater.

That’s why we created the AI Security Maturity Model, a strategic framework that:

  • Defines five clear levels of AI maturity, from manual processes (L0) to full AI Delegation (L4)
  • Delineating the outcomes derived between Agentic GenAI and Specialized AI Agent Systems
  • Applies across core functions such as risk management, threat detection, alert triage, and incident response
  • Links AI maturity to real-world outcomes like reduced risk, improved efficiency, and scalable operations

[related-resource]

How is maturity assessed in this model?

The AI Maturity Model for Cybersecurity is grounded in operational insights from nearly 10,000 global deployments of Darktrace's Self-Learning AI and Cyber AI Analyst. Rather than relying on abstract theory or vendor benchmarks, the model reflects what security teams are actually doing, where AI is being adopted, how it's being used, and what outcomes it’s delivering.

This real-world foundation allows the model to offer a practical, experience-based view of AI maturity. It helps teams assess their current state and identify realistic next steps based on how organizations like theirs are evolving.

Why Darktrace?

AI has been central to Darktrace’s mission since its inception in 2013, not just as a feature, but the foundation. With over a decade of experience building and deploying AI in real-world security environments, we’ve learned where it works, where it doesn’t, and how to get the most value from it. This model reflects that insight, helping security leaders find the right path forward for their people, processes, and tools

Security teams today are asking big, important questions:

  • What should we actually use AI for?
  • How are other teams using it — and what’s working?
  • What are vendors offering, and what’s just hype?
  • Will AI ever replace people in the SOC?

These questions are valid, and they’re not always easy to answer. That’s why we created this model: to help security leaders move past buzzwords and build a clear, realistic plan for applying AI across the SOC.

The structure: From experimentation to autonomy

The model outlines five levels of maturity :

L0 – Manual Operations: Processes are mostly manual with limited automation of some tasks.

L1 – Automation Rules: Manually maintained or externally-sourced automation rules and logic are used wherever possible.

L2 – AI Assistance: AI assists research but is not trusted to make good decisions. This includes GenAI agents requiring manual oversight for errors.

L3 – AI Collaboration: Specialized cybersecurity AI agent systems  with business technology context are trusted with specific tasks and decisions. GenAI has limited uses where errors are acceptable.

L4 – AI Delegation: Specialized AI agent systems with far wider business operations and impact context perform most cybersecurity tasks and decisions independently, with only high-level oversight needed.

Each level reflects a shift, not only in technology, but in people and processes. As AI matures, analysts evolve from executors to strategic overseers.

Strategic benefits for security leaders

The maturity model isn’t just about technology adoption it’s about aligning AI investments with measurable operational outcomes. Here’s what it enables:

SOC fatigue is real, and AI can help

Most teams still struggle with alert volume, investigation delays, and reactive processes. AI adoption is inconsistent and often siloed. When integrated well, AI can make a meaningful difference in making security teams more effective

GenAI is error prone, requiring strong human oversight

While there is a lot of hype around GenAI agentic systems, teams will need to account for inaccuracy and hallucination in Agentic GenAI systems.

AI’s real value lies in progression

The biggest gains don’t come from isolated use cases, but from integrating AI across the lifecycle, from preparation through detection to containment and recovery.

Trust and oversight are key initially but evolves in later levels

Early-stage adoption keeps humans fully in control. By L3 and L4, AI systems act independently within defined bounds, freeing humans for strategic oversight.

People’s roles shift meaningfully

As AI matures, analyst roles consolidate and elevate from labor intensive task execution to high-value decision-making, focusing on critical, high business impact activities, improving processes and AI governance.

Outcome, not hype, defines maturity

AI maturity isn’t about tech presence, it’s about measurable impact on risk reduction, response time, and operational resilience.

[related-resource]

Outcomes across the AI Security Maturity Model

The Security Organization experiences an evolution of cybersecurity outcomes as teams progress from manual operations to AI delegation. Each level represents a step-change in efficiency, accuracy, and strategic value.

L0 – Manual Operations

At this stage, analysts manually handle triage, investigation, patching, and reporting manually using basic, non-automated tools. The result is reactive, labor-intensive operations where most alerts go uninvestigated and risk management remains inconsistent.

L1 – Automation Rules

At this stage, analysts manage rule-based automation tools like SOAR and XDR, which offer some efficiency gains but still require constant tuning. Operations remain constrained by human bandwidth and predefined workflows.

L2 – AI Assistance

At this stage, AI assists with research, summarization, and triage, reducing analyst workload but requiring close oversight due to potential errors. Detection improves, but trust in autonomous decision-making remains limited.

L3 – AI Collaboration

At this stage, AI performs full investigations and recommends actions, while analysts focus on high-risk decisions and refining detection strategies. Purpose-built agentic AI systems with business context are trusted with specific tasks, improving precision and prioritization.

L4 – AI Delegation

At this stage, Specialized AI Agent Systems performs most security tasks independently at machine speed, while human teams provide high-level strategic oversight. This means the highest time and effort commitment activities by the human security team is focused on proactive activities while AI handles routine cybersecurity tasks

Specialized AI Agent Systems operate with deep business context including impact context to drive fast, effective decisions.

Join the webinar

Get a look at the minds shaping this model by joining our upcoming webinar using this link. We’ll walk through real use cases, share lessons learned from the field, and show how security teams are navigating the path to operational AI safely, strategically, and successfully.

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Ashanka Iddya
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