Ethical Hacking News
Microsoft has launched a bold new strategy to combat phishing attacks by creating fake Azure tenants that appear realistic to phishers, luring them into honeypots where they can be tracked and studied in detail. This innovative approach aims to divert attackers away from real environments, collect intelligence on tactics used to breach systems, and ultimately develop more effective defenses against sophisticated phishing operations.
Microsoft has created fake Azure tenants to lure phishing attackers into honeypots. The goal of this deception technology is to divert attackers away from real environments and collect intelligence on their methods. Microsoft employs a "hybrid high interaction honeypot" approach, where it actively visits active phishing sites and tracks attacker interactions. The collected intelligence provides valuable insights into IP addresses, browsers, location, behavioral patterns, and VPN usage. This strategy has proven effective in attributing attacks to financially-motivated groups and state-sponsored actors.
In a bold move to combat phishing attacks, Microsoft has created fake Azure tenants that appear realistic and enticing to phishers. This innovative strategy is designed to lure cybercriminals into honeypots, where they can be tracked and studied in detail.
At the heart of this initiative lies Ross Bevington, a principal security software engineer at Microsoft who has been dubbed "Microsoft's Head of Deception." In his presentation at the BSides Exeter conference, Bevington revealed that Microsoft's fake Azure tenants are designed to mimic the real thing, complete with thousands of user accounts and custom domain names. These honeypots are populated with realistic-looking information, making it seem like an authentic part of the Azure ecosystem.
The goal of this deception technology is multifaceted. Firstly, it aims to divert phishing attackers away from the real environment, thereby protecting Microsoft's infrastructure from potential breaches. Secondly, it seeks to collect intelligence on the methods used by threat actors to breach systems. By studying these tactics, security teams can gain a deeper understanding of sophisticated phishing operations and develop more effective defenses.
To achieve this, Bevington and his team employ a "hybrid high interaction honeypot" approach. This involves actively visiting active phishing sites identified by Defender, typing in the credentials from the fake tenants, and then waiting for the attackers to log in. Once they do, Microsoft turns on detailed logging to track every action taken by the threat actors.
The collected intelligence is incredibly valuable, providing insights into IP addresses, browsers, location, behavioral patterns, VPN usage, and even the phishing kits relied upon. Furthermore, when attackers interact with the fake accounts, Microsoft slows down responses as much as possible, wasting an attacker's 30 days before they realize they've been duped.
While less than 10% of the IP addresses collected can be correlated with data in other known threat databases, the method has already proven effective in attributing attacks to financially-motivated groups and even state-sponsored actors like the Russian Midnight Blizzard (Nobelium) threat group.
This approach is not entirely new, as many companies have employed honeypots and canary objects to detect intrusions. However, what sets Microsoft's strategy apart is its scale and proactive nature. By proactively seeking out phishing attacks, Bevington's team is able to hunt for threat actors and their methods at a much faster rate than traditional approaches.
This game-changing strategy represents a significant leap forward in the fight against phishing attacks. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, it will be crucial for organizations like Microsoft to stay ahead of the curve by employing innovative tactics such as this. By doing so, they can better protect themselves and their users from the ever-growing threats posed by cybercrime.
Related Information:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/microsoft-creates-fake-azure-tenants-to-pull-phishers-into-honeypots/
Published: Sat Oct 19 11:23:36 2024 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
