Certified MITRE ATT&CK Defender

Foundational Understanding of the MITRE ATT&CK Framework

Understanding the Purpose and Structure of ATT&CK

• Defining the MITRE ATT&CK framework as a globally accessible knowledge base of adversary tactics and techniques based on real-world observations.
• Understanding the strategic goals of threat actors (Tactics) and the specific methods they employ (Techniques).
• Exploring the relationship between Tactics and Techniques and how they map to the cyber attack lifecycle.
• Learning about the evolution of ATT&CK and its different matrices (Enterprise, Mobile, ICS).
• Recognizing the importance of ATT&CK as a common language for cybersecurity professionals.

Navigating the ATT&CK Knowledge Base

• Deep dive into the ATT&CK Enterprise Matrix, understanding its structure and the 14 primary tactics.
• Examining specific techniques within each tactic, including their descriptions, common examples, and common adversary groups associated with them.
• Understanding sub-techniques and their role in providing granular detail about adversary actions.
• Learning how to leverage the ATT&CK website and API for research and analysis.
• Understanding data sources and detection methods relevant to specific techniques.

Threat Intelligence and Adversary Emulation

Leveraging Threat Intelligence with ATT&CK

• Integrating ATT&CK into threat intelligence analysis processes to understand adversary behavior.
• Mapping reported incidents and threat actor profiles to specific ATT&CK techniques.
• Identifying gaps in defensive posture based on known adversary techniques observed in the wild.
• Using ATT&CK to prioritize defensive efforts and security investments.
• Understanding how to operationalize threat intelligence feeds using ATT&CK mappings.

Adversary Emulation Planning and Execution

• Designing realistic adversary emulation plans based on threat actor profiles and their known TTPs (Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures).
• Understanding the importance of controlled emulation to test and validate security controls.
• Selecting appropriate ATT&CK techniques for emulation based on the threat landscape and organizational risk.
• Utilizing adversary emulation tools and frameworks (e.g., Atomic Red Team) to simulate specific attack scenarios.
• Documenting emulation results and their implications for the organization's security posture.

Defense and Detection Strategies using ATT&CK

Mapping Defensive Controls to ATT&CK Techniques

• Analyzing existing security controls (e.g., EDR, SIEM, firewalls, IDS/IPS) and their ability to detect or prevent specific ATT&CK techniques.
• Identifying defensive gaps where adversary techniques are not adequately addressed by current controls.
• Developing a defensive strategy that prioritizes coverage of high-impact and frequently used adversary techniques.
• Understanding the concept of defense-in-depth and how ATT&CK helps to layer security controls effectively.
• Using the ATT&CK Navigator to visualize defensive coverage against adversary TTPs.

Developing Detection Rules and Analytics

• Translating ATT&CK techniques into actionable detection logic for SIEM and security analytics platforms.
• Understanding the necessary data sources required to detect specific techniques (e.g., process execution logs, network traffic, registry modifications).
• Writing custom detection rules that look for indicators of compromise associated with ATT&CK techniques.
• Implementing behavioral detection strategies that identify anomalous activity aligned with adversary tactics.
• Tuning detection rules to reduce false positives while maintaining high fidelity.
• Examples of detection logic for techniques like "T1059.003 - Windows Command Shell", "T1547.001 - Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder", and "T1134.001 - Access Token Manipulation".

Incident Response and Threat Hunting with ATT&CK

• Using ATT&CK as a framework to guide incident response investigations, moving from initial indicators to full adversary understanding.
• Applying ATT&CK to conduct proactive threat hunting exercises to uncover hidden compromises.
• Building threat hunting hypotheses based on known adversary TTPs and specific ATT&CK techniques.
• Analyzing network and endpoint telemetry to identify evidence of ATT&CK techniques in use.
• Developing playbooks for responding to specific ATT&CK tactic/technique combinations.
• Understanding how ATT&CK can be used to map attacker actions during an active incident.

Advanced ATT&CK Application and Integration

Customizing and Extending ATT&CK

• Understanding the principles of creating custom ATT&CK matrices for specific environments or threat landscapes.
• Mapping proprietary tools or unique adversary behaviors to existing ATT&CK techniques or creating new ones.
• Integrating ATT&CK data with other security tools and platforms for enhanced visibility.
• Developing custom data mappings and enrichments for ATT&CK within security operations.

Leveraging ATT&CK for Security Maturity and Risk Management

• Using ATT&CK to measure and improve the organization's security maturity against known threats.
• Quantifying the risk posed by specific adversary TTPs to the organization's assets and operations.
• Communicating cybersecurity risks and defensive posture to stakeholders using ATT&CK as a common reference.
• Driving strategic security initiatives and resource allocation based on ATT&CK-informed risk assessments.
• Establishing a continuous feedback loop between threat intelligence, detection engineering, incident response, and ATT&CK updates.