The ever-evolving cyber threat landscape demands that organizations equip their cybersecurity teams with the necessary skills to detect, respond and defend against malicious attacks. The most surprising thing to be discovered and continued to explore in research, however, is how easy it can be to fool the current cybersecurity defenses. Anti-virus programs are built on a massive signature database house of cards that can easily crumble with an action as simple as changing text within the program. The same applies for network signatures and endpoint detection and response. There are certain behaviors that defense technologies key in on, but at the end of the day, malware is just software — and the more it can blend into common software activity, the less likely it is will be detected.
To combat these threats in recent years, simulation exercises have emerged as a powerful tool to test the skill level of cybersecurity teams and prepare them for the challenges posed by cyber adversaries. Generally speaking, teams that are able to visualize how an engagement with an attacker will unfold and end in the organization’s victory will be prepared for when that engagement actually occurs. Simulation exercises allow security leaders to do this rapidly while monitoring tools, people and processes on an ongoing basis.