We Know It Before You Do: Predicting Malicious Domains
Summary: At the 2014 Virus Bulletin International Conference in Seattle, Palo Alto Networks presented a paper titled "We Know It Before You Do: Predicting Malicious Domains," arguing that malicious domains underpin nearly all popular attack vectors, including malware distribution, command and control server hosting and traffic distribution. The paper proposes predicting domain names likely to be used for malicious purposes by identifying traces attackers leave in publicly available data feeds while preparing or first using a domain, so those domains can be blocked before or at initial malicious use.
Key Takeaway: Domain reputation systems that rely on observing suspicious activity can be bypassed by malicious domains used only for a very short period, which the paper describes as an increasing trend - meaning detection after the fact may arrive too late to block the attack.
Read the original at Unit 42 Palo Alto Networks ↗
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