What Is a Fileless Attack?
Hi! My name is Greg and I’m an IT professional.
As security measures get better at detecting and blocking both malware and cyber attacks, cybercriminals continue to develop new techniques to evade detection. Unfortunately for organizations, new technique cybercriminals are using more and more today involves fileless exploits.
These attacks are particularly effective at evading traditional antivirus solutions and are becoming more and more prevalent. Since it’s essential to understand the risk of these types of attacks if you want to ensure the continued success of your organization, let’s take a look at the different types of fileless attacks you could encounter and how you can prevent them from happening at your organization.
Registry Resident Malware
Registry resident malware is malware that installs itself in the Windows Registry in order to remain persistent while evading detection. This type of malware calls back to a command and control server from which the attacker can send further instructions to the compromised system, all without any file being written to a disk.
Memory-Only Malware
Some malware resides only in memory to evade detection and many come in two versions; the first is a backdoor which allows an attacker to gain a foothold in an organization, and the second, often known as the advanced version, offers additional features such as reconnaissance, lateral movement, and data exfiltration. This type of security threat is so effective that it has been known to have successfully breached telecom companies, as well as well-known security software providers.
Fileless Ransomware
Even ransomware attackers are now using fileless techniques to achieve their objectives. In fileless ransomware, malicious code is either embedded in a document or written straight into memory using exploits. The ransomware then uses legitimate administrative tools to encrypt hostage files, all without being written to disk.
As cybercriminals become more and more sophisticated with their malicious techniques, traditional solutions are no longer adequate to effectively protect your organization against fileless attacks. Only when your company implements a powerful security tool will you be able to effectively stop security breaches.
If you want to learn more about fileless attacks, click the link below for more information.