If you don’t plan your Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) implementation, it might not work as expected.
According to a global study, around 80% of workers lack the skills to use security solutions properly.
Common causes include failing to understand why vulnerability management is important and the lack of proper BAS planning, which leads to ineffective implementation.
How do you properly plan your BAS implementation to identify vulnerabilities in your systems and develop strategies to mitigate the risk of an attack?
Let’s find out how with the six tips to design an effective BAS plan below.
Breach and Attack Simulation: An overview
Breach and attack simulation is a simulated cyberattack designed to test the effectiveness of an organization’s cybersecurity defenses.
BAS is typically conducted by security professionals using specialized tools and techniques to simulate various types of cyber attacks, such as malware infections, phishing attacks, and network breaches.
For example, BAS can use the MITRE ATT&CK framework to get a standardized, comprehensive understanding of cyber attack methods and tactics.
Security professionals can reference the framework to design and conduct more realistic and effective BAS exercises.
The MITRE ATT&CK framework is a knowledge base of tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by cyber attackers.
BAS aims to identify vulnerabilities in your organization’s systems and assess your team’s response to a cyber attack.
Regular BAS exercises can help you identify weaknesses in your defenses and develop strategies to mitigate the risk of a real attack.
BAS is essential to improve your organization’s cybersecurity posture, preparing you to defend against cyber attacks.
Why plan your Breach and Attack Simulation implementation?
If you don’t plan a BAS, you might not understand your system’s vulnerabilities.
It could leave you vulnerable to actual cyber attacks, which can damage your organization significantly.
Without a BAS plan, you might not understand the types of attacks that could be used against your organization, including how to defend against them.
You can end up ill-prepared, failing to respond to real cyber attacks adequately.
Also, if you don’t plan a BAS, you may not have the necessary tools and resources to test your defenses effectively. It could result in a less realistic simulation and a lack of valuable insights into your defenses’ effectiveness.
6 Practical tips for creating a BAS plan
Plan BAS to address your organization’s vulnerabilities to cyber attacks and strengthen your ability to defend against them.
Start with the tips to develop your BAS plan below.
1. Identify your objectives
Before designing your BAS plan, ensure you understand your objectives.
What do you hope to achieve with your BAS?
Do you want to test the effectiveness of your cybersecurity defenses and spot system vulnerabilities?
Do you wish to assess your team’s response to a cyber attack?
Determining your objectives helps you design a plan that meets your specific needs. It also gives you something to measure your BAS results against to assess the simulation’s effectiveness.
2. Choose the appropriate simulation tools
You can use many different tools and technologies to conduct a BAS, such as automated tools or manual methods.
The right tool can depend on your organization’s specific needs and budget. Some popular options include:
- Vulnerability scanners. A vulnerability scanner can scan your systems and identify vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit.
- Attack simulation tools. These tools can simulate various cyber attacks, such as malware infections, phishing attacks, and network breaches.
- Penetration testing tools. Security experts can use pen testing tools to simulate an actual cyber attack and test the effectiveness of your cybersecurity measures and controls.
3. Determine the scope of your simulation
It is important to determine the scope and limitations of a breach and attack simulation (BAS) because this will help you design a realistic and effective simulation.
Defining the simulation’s scope helps ensure that it is tailored to your specific needs and objectives and that it tests your organization’s most relevant systems and defenses.
The scope depends on your objectives and your available resources.
Consider the following when determining the scope of your simulation:
- The systems and networks to include in the simulation
- The types of attacks you want to simulate
- The level of complexity of the attacks
- The duration of the simulation
Defining your simulation’s parameters helps ensure your BAS is relevant and focused on your cybersecurity posture’s most critical aspects.
Also, consider limitations when designing a BAS.
For example, you might have limited resources or time for the simulation or want to avoid simulating certain attacks for security or ethical reasons.
Identify the limitations of your BAS, so it is realistic, feasible, and does not pose any unnecessary risks to your systems or team.
4. Include essential factors and steps in your plan
A detailed plan is essential to execute BAS successfully.
Your BAS plan should provide a clear roadmap for conducting the simulation and ensure all necessary resources and tools are in place.
Include these crucial factors when creating a detailed plan for your BAS:
- Develop a timeline. Create a timeline of events that outlines the steps involved in the simulation. Your timeline should include the preparation phase, the execution of the simulation, and the analysis and reporting phase.
- Identify resources and tools. Make a list of the resources and tools necessary for the simulation, such as simulation tools, testing equipment, and any specialized software or hardware.
- Establish roles and responsibilities. Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved in the simulation, including security professionals, IT staff, and external vendors or contractors.
- Create guidelines and procedures. Develop guidelines and procedures for conducting the simulation, including special instructions or protocols that should be followed.
- Prepare for potential challenges. Identify potential challenges during the simulation, such as technical issues or unexpected results, and develop contingency plans to address them.
- Test and refine your plan. Before conducting the simulation, test and refine the plan to ensure it is realistic and effective.
The testing and refining process can involve conducting a dry run or pilot test to identify issues or areas for improvement.
5. Establish a method to analyze your results
Every completed simulation should include a results analysis to help identify areas in your IT infrastructure and security posture that need improvement.
For example, your BAS results analysis can include reviewing logs, assessing your team’s response, and identifying vulnerabilities exposed during the simulation.
You can develop an action plan based on your findings to address any weaknesses and improve your organization’s defenses against potential cyber-attacks.
6. Set regular reviews and updates of your plan
Review and update your BAS plan regularly to keep it relevant and effective.
As your systems and defenses evolve, you should update your BAS plan to reflect these changes.
Conduct regular BAS exercises and update your plan accordingly. Doing so helps prepare and equip your organization to defend against cyber attacks.
Nail your BAS plan and reinforce your defenses
Developing an effective breach and attack simulation (BAS) plan is essential for testing the effectiveness of an organization’s cybersecurity defenses.
Follow this blog post’s practical tips to design a BAS plan that meets your specific needs and helps you identify any vulnerabilities in your systems.
Perform regular BAS exercises to spot and address vulnerabilities and continuously improve your organization’s defenses against cyber attacks.
Cover Photo by Mikhail Nilov
