[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":103},["ShallowReactive",2],{"content-query-tENqNUR0AI":3},{"_path":4,"_dir":5,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":8,"description":9,"head":10,"banner":27,"sides":34,"_id":98,"_type":99,"_source":100,"_file":101,"_stem":102,"_extension":99},"\u002Fcase-studies\u002Fwhen-attackers-exploit-trust-instead-of-vulnerabilities","case-studies",false,"","When Attackers Exploit Trust Instead of Vulnerabilities - Cybermode","A financial services organization with a strong security posture learned that trust relationships can still become a path to domain compromise.",{"meta":11,"link":23},[12,14,16,19,21],{"hid":13,"property":13,"content":8},"twitter:title",{"hid":15,"name":15,"content":9},"twitter:description",{"hid":17,"name":17,"content":18},"twitter:image","https:\u002F\u002Fcybermode.io\u002Fpromotion-graphic.png",{"hid":20,"property":20,"content":8},"og:title",{"hid":22,"name":22,"content":18},"og:image",[24],{"rel":25,"href":26},"canonical","https:\u002F\u002Fcybermode.io\u002Fcase-studies\u002Fwhen-attackers-exploit-trust-instead-of-vulnerabilities",{"title":28,"desc":29,"img":30},"When Attackers Exploit Trust Instead of Vulnerabilities","A financial services organization with a strong security posture learned that \u003Cspan class=\"text-primary font-weight-bold\">trust relationships can still become a path to domain compromise\u003C\u002Fspan>.",{"alt":31,"sm":32,"md":32,"lg":33},"Secure safe marked breached",null,"\u002Fcase-studies\u002Fwhen-attackers-exploit-trust-instead-of-vulnerabilities\u002Fattackers-exploit-trust-v3.png?v=59bb353e",{"img":35,"text":36},{"alt":31,"sm":32,"md":32,"lg":33},[37,44,57,84,89],{"title":38,"content":39},"Industry",[40,42],{"content":41},"\u003Cb>Financial Services Organization\u003C\u002Fb>",{"content":43},"A financial services organization with a high security posture still requires regular penetration testing.",{"title":45,"content":46},"Cybermode Services Performed",[47],{"content":48},[49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56],"Comprehensive Penetration Test","Comprehensive API Penetration Test","Comprehensive Web Application Penetration Test","Comprehensive Cloud Penetration Test","Enterprise Risk Assessment","Enterprise Incident Response","Dark Web Breach Data Assessment","Social Engineering and IAM Assessment",{"title":58,"content":59},"Engagement Scope",[60,62,64,80,82],{"content":61},"The assessment examined both the organization's external attack surface and internal enterprise network over a multi-week engagement that included onsite testing.",{"content":63},"Cybermode evaluated:",{"content":65},[66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79],"Internet-facing infrastructure","Windows Active Directory environment","Internal network segmentation","Authentication controls","Microsoft domain security","Password policies","Firewall and VPN security","SSL\u002FTLS configurations","Public attack surface","Breach data exposure","DNS infrastructure","Employee OSINT footprint","Credential management","Network protocol security",{"content":81},"Unlike a traditional vulnerability scan, the engagement \u003Cspan class=\"text-primary font-weight-bold\">simulated the techniques used by modern threat actors\u003C\u002Fspan> to determine how far an attacker could realistically progress after obtaining an initial foothold.",{"content":83},"The financial services organization network stood strong over initial engagements. Cybermode then evolved methodologies and tactics to \u003Cspan class=\"text-primary font-weight-bold\">manipulate and completely breach the internal Active Directory Windows Domain.\u003C\u002Fspan>",{"title":85,"content":86},"Impact",[87],{"content":88},"Cybermode was able to \u003Cspan class=\"text-primary font-weight-bold\">breach even a highly secure network\u003C\u002Fspan> by utilizing state of the art hacking techniques. This demonstrates the continually changing nature of cybersecurity risk.",{"title":90,"content":91},"Lessons Learned",[92,94,96],{"content":93},"This engagement reinforced an important cybersecurity principle: \u003Cspan class=\"text-primary font-weight-bold\">a high security posture with strong vulnerability management alone does not entirely eliminate enterprise risk.\u003C\u002Fspan>",{"content":95},"The financial services organization maintained a well managed environment with almost no exploitable software vulnerabilities, \u003Cspan class=\"text-primary font-weight-bold\">yet sophisticated identity-based attacks remained capable of breaching the network and obtaining domain administrator access\u003C\u002Fspan> because of trust relationship weaknesses inherent within traditional Windows enterprise networks.",{"content":97},"A regular penetration test is necessary, even within highly secure, well managed networks.","content:case-studies:when-attackers-exploit-trust-instead-of-vulnerabilities.json","json","content","case-studies\u002Fwhen-attackers-exploit-trust-instead-of-vulnerabilities.json","case-studies\u002Fwhen-attackers-exploit-trust-instead-of-vulnerabilities",1785277054250]