The FireEye SolarWinds Orion Platform Attack

Hey guys, welcome to yet another article from Ada Cloud, I am sorry for being away for too long; kinda got lost and swamped with school projects and assignments. Masters in Cybersecurity is not for weak Mehn, but my favorite assignment so far inspired this topic, I hope you enjoy my little comeback article. Cyber-attacks have grown in popularity in recent years, with cybercriminals constantly devising new methods to access networks, steal critical information, and disrupt systems. Cyber-attacks can be deadly and far-reaching, affecting not only corporations but also individuals.

A cyber-attack is an attempt by cybercriminals, hackers, or other digital enemies to gain access to a computer network or system, typically with the intent of modifying, stealing, destroying, or exposing data. Individual individuals, businesses, and even governments can all be targets of cyberattacks. When hackers target businesses or other organizations, their goal is usually to get access to sensitive and important firm resources such as intellectual property (IP), customer data, or payment information. Recent cyber-attacks can originate from a variety of sources and affect millions of people. They have evolved since the first cyber-attack, which damaged 10% of the internet in 1988. Data breaches at T-Mobile, Kroger, the California DMV, and Microsoft Exchange Server, as well as a ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, are among the most significant cyber-attacks of 2022.

Cyber-attacks can take many forms, but the most common types include phishing, malware, and ransomware attacks. Phishing refers to the practice of tricking individuals into revealing sensitive information such as login credentials or personal data. Malware attacks involve the use of malicious software to gain unauthorized access to a network or device. Ransomware attacks involve hackers encrypting a victim’s data and demanding payment in exchange for restoring it.

The impact of cyber-attacks can be far-reaching, both in terms of financial and reputational damage. Organizations can suffer significant financial losses as a result of an attack, with costs including recovery efforts and loss of revenue. Reputation damage can also be severe, as customers and stakeholders may lose trust in the organization and its ability to protect sensitive data. The effects of cyber-attacks go beyond the direct financial and reputational damage, however. They can also impact national security, critical infrastructure, and the wider economy. The WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017, for example, affected hospitals, banks, and government organizations around the world, causing widespread disruption and costing billions of dollars.

Now to our main topic for today,

FireEye SolarWinds Orion Platform Attack

The FireEye SolarWinds Orion Platform hack is an important cybersecurity incident that emphasizes the need to assess third-party risk as part of a cyber-risk management strategy.

What does it signify for everyone else when an award-winning cybersecurity firm is hacked? FireEye is a cybersecurity firm based in the United States that has won numerous honors, including the Cybersecurity Excellence Award in 2020 and 2021, the Infosec Award, and the Artificial Intelligence Applications to Autonomous Cybersecurity Challenge in 2019 and 2020. They were involved in the discovery and prevention of significant cyberattacks, such as those against Target, JP Morgan Chase, Sony Pictures, and Anthem, but they were still attacked, demonstrating that everyone is vulnerable.

FireEye was established in 2004. Initially, they concentrated on creating virtual machines to download and test internet traffic before transferring it to a business or government network. They began expanding into the Middle East in 2010. They expanded across Asia Pacific, Europe, and Africa in the years that followed. FireEye would detect a security breach and then collaborate with Mandiant to determine who the hackers were. Mandiant was acquired by FireEye in 2013 and became a subsidiary.

FireEye, a cybersecurity company based in the United States, disclosed in December 2020 that they were the target of a sophisticated attack that exploited a vulnerability in SolarWinds Orion Platform, an information technology infrastructure monitoring software, to gain access to their systems and steal their red team tools. In the days that followed, it was revealed that numerous other organizations, including several US government agencies and private sector businesses, had also been penetrated in the same campaign.

The attackers, who are allegedly state-sponsored, inserted a backdoor into Orion software upgrades issued to SolarWinds clients between March and June 2020. This enabled them to get remote access to and control over the impacted systems. Before accessing a victim's network, the attackers spent time undertaking reconnaissance to grasp the layout and find valuable data.

To avoid discovery, the attackers employed a combination of approaches, including exploiting existing authorized credentials, disguising their activity as typical user behavior, and encrypting traffic to conceal their conversations. The attack was labeled "advanced persistent threat" because the attackers went to significant lengths to remain unnoticed and persistent in their campaign. It is particularly notable for the diverse set of victims, ranging from government entities to private-sector businesses.

The SolarWinds Effect

The SolarWinds attack was unprecedented in terms of the scope of destruction it produced. It affected about 250 federal agencies and businesses in almost every major area of the US economy. The incident, among other things, prompted the Biden administration to impose additional Russian sanctions and restrictions. The Biden administration has made cybersecurity and the protection of vital infrastructure a top priority. SolarWinds demonstrates how devastating and complicated cyberattacks have become. Cybersecurity firms are constantly attempting to improve their defenses and reactions. The FireEye breach shows that cybersecurity firms are not immune and can be readily attacked. Fortunately for this attack, FireEye studied and anticipated probable damage. They continued to collect information about their opponents and assisted the inquiry in any way they could.

Software as a Part of the Supply Chain.

In the supply chain context, software refers to the many software components and applications on which an organization relies, both those developed in-house and those bought from third-party vendors. In the case of SolarWinds, the Orion software was part of many enterprises' supply chains since they trusted it for network management. The incident demonstrates that when reputable third-party software vendors are part of an organization's supply chain, they can become sources of risk.

Unique Risks Introduced by Software Products.

Attack Surface Expansion: When a company uses third-party software, it increases its attack surface. This means that threats and fraudsters will have more entry points to exploit.

Dependency and Trust: Organizations frequently invest a high level of trust in software, especially when it originates from recognized providers. If the software is compromised, the trust can be abused.

Supply Chain Complexity: As firms integrate multiple software products into their operations, the complexity of maintaining and safeguarding these components grows.

Regulatory and Compliance Issues: Depending on the nature of the software and the sectors involved, compliance with regulatory standards might become complicated when third-party software is involved. Noncompliance might result in legal and financial consequences.

Finally, the SolarWinds Orion Platform assault emphasizes the crucial need to assess and manage third-party risk as part of a cyber-risk assessment plan. To improve their cybersecurity posture, organizations must have effective procedures for analyzing and mitigating these risks. Although the actual motivations and perpetrators of the SolarWinds Orion Platform assault are unknown, cybersecurity experts have issued concerns about the potential consequences of such a sophisticated and audacious campaign. Such attacks put organizations and sensitive information in danger, while also undermining trust in the technology on which so many businesses and government agencies rely.

Companies and government organizations are on high alert in response to the attack, undertaking extensive inspections of their security procedures and fixing any holes. Researchers are also investigating the attack to determine how it was carried out and how it might be avoided in the future.