RUNNING HEAD: Advanced Persistent Threats Against RSA Tokens 1

Advanced Persistent Threats Against RSA Tokens
McQuinda Johnson
Dr. Al Oluyomi
CIS 502
January 27, 2014

Advanced Persistent Threats Against RSA Tokens 2 An evolution in the goals and sophistication of computer network intrusions has rendered these approaches insufficient for the threats facing many modern networked organizations. A new class of adversaries, appropriately dubbed the “Advanced Persistent Threat” (APT), represents well-resourced and trained adversaries that conduct multi-year intrusion campaigns targeting highly sensitive and valuable data in an attempt to gain a competitive edge, particularly in international business and law, or nation-state political and military affairs. These adversaries accomplish their goals using advanced tools and techniques designed to circumvent most conventional computer network defense mechanisms and remain undetected in their intrusion efforts or presence on networks over long periods of time. Network defense techniques which leverage knowledge about these adversaries can enable defenders to establish a state of information superiority which decreases the adversary’s likelihood of success with each subsequent intrusion attempt. Threat intelligence can be a force multiplier as organizations look to update their security programs and defenses to deal with increasingly sophisticated advanced persistent threats. Security managers need accurate, timely and detailed information to continuously monitor new and evolving attacks, and methods to exploit this information in furtherance of an improved defensive posture. Make no mistake about it: concurrent computer network defense contains a strong element of intelligence and counterintelligence that analysts and managers alike must understand and leverage. The tokens are the market leader