#USA #Cybersecurity #Reston #Tidal Cyber #Threat-Led Defense

Tidal Cyber's Groundbreaking Approach to Cybersecurity

In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, one company is leading the charge towards a more effective and realistic defense mechanism: Tidal Cyber. Recently, they announced a significant transformation in their product vision — the introduction of Threat-Led Defense centered around adversary procedures. This innovative approach marks a departure from traditional methods that primarily focus on attack techniques and patterns.

For years, organizations have structured their security frameworks around objects, campaigns, malware, and attack patterns. While this strategy has improved visibility, breaches continue to occur, suggesting that merely mapping techniques is insufficient. Tidal Cyber's CEO and co-founder, Rick Gordon, emphasizes that understanding how attacks are executed is crucial for effectiveness. “Technique mapping became a proxy for security assurance,” he stated, “but abstraction does not stop execution.” By shifting the focus to procedures — the explicit sequence of actions taken by adversaries — Tidal Cyber seeks to bridge a critical gap in current cybersecurity practices.

The Importance of Procedures

Procedures are essentially the concrete steps that adversaries take to infiltrate environments and cause damage. Tidal Cyber’s new Threat-Led Defense model formalizes procedures as structured, measurable entities within its platform. With a remarkable Procedures Library containing over 20,000 objects, organizations can gain deeper insights into how attacks unfold. This enables defenders to identify vulnerabilities in their defenses more effectively and prioritize remediation efforts based on actual attack disruption instead of static exposure data.

Frank Duff, co-founder of Tidal Cyber, adds, “Attacks don’t occur due to a lack of technical coverage; they persist because coverage is not focused on execution.” By modeling adversary procedures, Tidal Cyber allows defenders to achieve clarity about how attacks progress through environments, ultimately resulting in better outcomes.

Linking Vulnerabilities to Execution

Crucially, Tidal Cyber’s platform also integrates the concept of vulnerabilities. Not every vulnerability necessarily heightens the likelihood of an attack; it becomes relevant primarily when it amplifies adversary procedures, increasing the chances of successful execution. This nuanced understanding is pivotal for organizations aiming to fortify their defenses against potential breaches.

Moreover, Tidal Cyber's NARC AI engine has been expanded to convert unstructured threat intelligence into coherent adversary procedures. This means that instead of halting at basic indicators or campaign references, the platform now offers intelligence translated into actionable, procedure-led guidance for organizations. This development pushes the boundaries of traditional protective measures, promoting a proactive stance against potential threats.

A New Era in Cybersecurity

While established frameworks like MITRE ATTCK are valuable for categorization and communication, Tidal Cyber argues they lack procedural execution specificity. Their approach not only builds on existing frameworks but introduces an execution layer essential for making attacker execution defensible. With this announcement, Tidal Cyber is not just looking to enhance their platform; they're redefining how the cybersecurity industry thinks about threat defense.

This procedure-driven capability is now integrated into Tidal Cyber’s Threat-Led Defense platform, providing organizations with the tools necessary to combat adversaries effectively. The conversations surrounding cybersecurity are set to shift, focusing more on disruption and defense rather than mere visibility and abstraction.

In conclusion, Tidal Cyber’s innovative approach exemplifies a critical evolution in cybersecurity strategy. By harnessing the power of adversary procedures and integrating them into their defense models, they are setting a new standard that could potentially reduce the probability of attacker success and lower residual risk for organizations worldwide. For more information, organization can learn more at Tidal Cyber's website.