How to Use MITRE ATT&CK in SOC

Using MITRE ATT&CK in a Security Operations Center (SOC) can greatly enhance threat detection and response capabilities. Here are the steps to effectively utilize MITRE ATT&CK framework in a SOC

Familiarize Yourself with MITRE ATT&CK

• Understand the purpose and structure of the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
• Explore the ATT&CK website (https://attack.mitre.org/) and review the ATT&CK matrix, techniques, tactics, and sub-techniques.

Map ATT&CK to Your Environment

• Identify the relevant MITRE ATT&CK techniques and tactics that align with your organization’s infrastructure, applications, and data.
• Map the MITRE ATT&CK techniques to your existing security controls, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and endpoint protection solutions.

Create Detection Rules

• Develop detection rules and use cases based on specific MITRE ATT&CK techniques and tactics.
• Leverage your security information and event management (SIEM) system or threat intelligence platforms to create rules that trigger alerts when suspicious activities related to specific ATT&CK techniques are detected.

Implement Threat Hunting

• Utilize MITRE ATT&CK as a guide for proactive threat hunting exercises.
• Search for indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with known ATT&CK techniques and use them to identify potential threats within your environment.

Enhance Incident Response

• Incorporate MITRE ATT&CK into your incident response procedures
• Develop playbooks and response plans that align with specific ATT&CK techniques and tactics to effectively handle and mitigate threats.

Collaborate with Threat Intelligence

• Leverage external threat intelligence sources that align with MITRE ATT&CK.
• Stay updated on the latest threat intelligence reports that reference ATT&CK techniques and tactics.

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How to use MITRE ATT&CK in action

Step 1 : Find what you looking for 🔎

• Find Tactics, technique, Sub-technique or ID
• Example : Scheduled Task/Job: Scheduled Task
• ID: T1053.005
• Sub-technique of: T1053
• Tactics: Execution, Persistence, Privilege Escalation

Step 2 : Learn about it 📖

• Understand ATT&CK
• Familiarize yourself with the overall structure of ATT&CK ****
• Find the behavior
• Find parameters and tools attacker should use to implement the ATT&CK
• Research the behavior / tools
• Search about the technique or Sub-technique on the other resources
• Read Procedure Examples section
• Learn how Groups or tools use the technique or Sub-technique

Step 3 : Defeat it 🗡️

• Mitigations section
• Find the Mitigation
• Detection section
• Find the Detection

Step 4 : Convert TTP to SIEM rule / use case

• Find Detection rule at MITRE CAR project
• Example : Scheduled Task Creation or Modification Containing Suspicious Scripts

Data Sources

You can identify technique or Sub-technique based on data source that you have like Windows Registry or Network Traffic

Examples

• Process and process command line monitoring
• Often collected by Sysmon, Windows Event Logs
• Command, Data Source DS0017 | MITRE ATT&CK®
• Registry monitoring
• A Windows OS hierarchical database that stores much of the information and settings for software programs
• Windows Registry, Data Source DS0024 | MITRE ATT&CK®
• Network Traffic
• such as capturing socket information with a source/destination IP and port(s) (ex: Windows EID 5156, Sysmon EID 3, or Zeek conn.log)

ATT&CK Navigator

The ATT&CK Navigator is a web-based tool for annotating and exploring ATT&CK matrices. It can be used to visualize defensive coverage, red/blue team planning, the frequency of detected techniques, and more.

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Credit by Sina Mohebi & blog.sinamohebi.com