analyzing-cyber-kill-chain

Este extracto es una copia guardada durante la revisión. La fuente externa contiene la versión completa y actual.

---
name: analyzing-cyber-kill-chain
description: 'Analyzes intrusion activity against the Lockheed Martin Cyber Kill Chain
  framework to identify which phases an adversary has completed, where defenses succeeded
  or failed, and what controls would have interrupted the attack at earlier phases.
  Use when conducting post-incident analysis, building prevention-focused security
  controls, or mapping detection gaps to kill chain phases. Activates for requests
  involving kill chain analysis, intrusion kill chain, attack phase mapping, or Lockheed
  Martin kill chain framework.

  '
domain: cybersecurity
subdomain: threat-intelligence
tags:
- kill-chain
- Lockheed-Martin
- MITRE-ATT&CK
- intrusion-analysis
- defense-in-depth
- NIST-CSF
version: 1.0.0
author: team-cybersecurity
license: Apache-2.0
nist_csf:
- ID.RA-01
- ID.RA-05
- DE.CM-01
- DE.AE-02
mitre_attack:
- T1566.001
- T1190
- T1547.001
- T1071.001
- T1486
---
# Analyzing Cyber Kill Chain

## When to Use

Use this skill when:
- Conducting post-incident analysis to determine how far an adversary progressed through an attack sequence
- Designing layered defensive controls with the goal of interrupting attacks at the earliest possible phase
- Producing threat intelligence reports that communicate attack progression to non-technical stakeholders

**Do not use** this skill as a standalone framework — combine with MITRE ATT&CK for technique-level granularity beyond what the 7-phase kill chain provides.

## Prerequisites

- Complete incident timeline with forensic artifacts mapped to specific adversary actions
- MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise matrix for technique-level mapping within each kill chain phase
- Access to threat intelligence on the suspected adversary group's typical kill chain progression
- Post-incident report or IR timeline from responding team

## Workflow

### Step 1: Map Observed Actions to Kill Chain Phases

The Lockheed Martin Cyber Kill Chain consists of seven phases. Map all observed adversary actions:

**Phase 1 - Reconnaissance**: Adversary gathers target information before attack.
- Indicators: DNS queries from adversary IP, LinkedIn scraping, job posting analysis, Shodan scans of organization infrastructure

**Phase 2 - Weaponization**: Adversary creates attack tool (malware + exploit).
- Indicators: Malware compilation timestamps, exploit document metadata, builder artifacts in malware samples

**Phase 3 - Delivery**: Adversary transmits weapon to target.
- Indicators: Phishing emails, malicious attachments, drive-by downloads, USB drops, supply chain compromise

**Phase 4 - Exploitation**: Adversary exploits vulnerability to execute code.
- Indicators: CVE exploitation events in application/OS logs, memory corruption artifacts, shellcode execution

**Phase 5 - Installation**: Adversary establishes persistence on target.
- Indicators: New scheduled tasks, registry run keys, service installation, web shells, bootkits

**Phase 6 - Command & Control (C2)**: Adversary communicates with compromised system.
- Indicators: Beaconing traffic (regular intervals), DNS tunneling, HTTPS to uncommon domains, C2 framework signatures (Cobalt Strike, Sliver)

**Phase 7 - Actions on Objectives**: Adversary achieves goals.
- Indicators: Data staging/exfiltration, lateral movement, ransomware execution, destructive activity

### Step 2: Identify Phase Completion and Detection Points

Create a phase matrix for the incident:
```
Phase 1: Recon        → Completed (undetected)
Phase 2: Weaponize    → Completed (undetected — pre-attack)
Phase 3: Delivery     → Completed; phishing email bypassed SEG
Phase 4: Exploit      → Completed; CVE-2023-23397 exploited
Phase 5: Install      → DETECTED: EDR flagged scheduled task creation (attack stalled here)
Phase 6: C2           → Not achieved (installation blocked)
Phase 7: Objectives   → Not achieved
```

For each phase completed without detection, document the defensive control gap.

### Step 3: Map to MITRE ATT&CK for Technique Detail

E