Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) replaces network-level based access and reduces excessive implicit trust for access to resources, primarily from remote locations, by employees, contractors, and other third parties.

In this breach, the user unknowingly uploaded a file that had sensitive information to Okta’s support management system. The adversary leveraged the session cookies from the uploaded information to further advance the breach. A DLP-like technology can be effective in preventing users from uploading files with sensitive data unknowingly.

Using posture control, organizations can limit access to applications on managed devices only. Access will be prohibited if the adversaries try to access the critical applications or servers from unmanaged devices. It is imperative to make unmanaged device access a mandatory part of the ZTNA architecture.

The blast radius from the attack can be reduced by enforcing stringent segmentation policies. An administrator should define the policies for combining user attributes and services to enforce who has access to what. It is important to determine if a universal access policy is needed when users are on and off premises.

In this recent OKTA breach, no reports suggest major incidents so far. But in most cyberattacks, the threat actors are after the crown jewel systems and the data. Once the attackers have established a network foothold, they move laterally in the network, identifying the systems that are critical for the organizations to launch further attacks, including data theft. Defense-in-Depth (DiD) plays a very critical role in breaking the attack chain. This layered security approach enforces a very strong defense against sophisticated attacks such that if one layer fails to detect an advancement of a threat actor in the attack chain, then the next layer can still detect the attacker’s next move and break the chain to neutralize the attack.  

Leveraging deception and ITDR using the Zero Trust platform for defense

While Zero Trust reduces your attack surface by making resources invisible to the internet and minimizes the blast radius by connecting users directly to applications, deception, and ITDR are two additional tools in your arsenal that can help prevent, detect, and contain identity-driven attacks.

Adversaries rely on human error, policy gaps, and poor security hygiene to circumvent defenses and stay hidden as they escalate privileges and move laterally. No security team can be 100% certain that their defenses are bulletproof all the time–this is what adversaries take advantage of.

Deception changes the dynamics by injecting uncertainty into your environment. After hijacking a session token or using credentials, the attacker will scan the environment to find accounts and keys in an attempt to access critical applications and sensitive data.

A simple deception strategy can help detect adversary presence before an attacker establishes persistence or exfiltrates data.

Using deception will not always stop an identity attack, but it will act as a last line of defense to detect a post-breach adversarial presence. This can help prevent a compromise from turning into a breach.

ITDR

ITDR is an emerging security discipline that sits at the intersection of threat detection and identity and access management.

It is becoming a top security priority for CISOs due to the rise of identity attacks and ITDR’s ability to provide visibility into an organization’s identity posture, implement hygiene best practices, and detect identity-specific attacks.

Augment your Zero Trust implementation with ITDR to prevent and detect identity attacks using the following principles:

Identity Posture Management: Continuously assess identity stores like Active Directory, AzureAD, and Okta to get visibility into misconfigurations, excessive permissions, and Indicators or Exposure (IOEs) that could give attackers access to higher privileges and lateral movement paths.

Implement identity hygiene: Use posture management best practices to revoke permissions and configure default policies that minimize attack paths and privileges.

Threat Detection: Monitor endpoints for specific activities like DCSync, DCShadow, Kerberoasting, LDAP enumeration, and similar changes that correlate to malicious behavior.

An effective Security Operations Center (SOC) playbook plays a crucial role in proactively identifying and mitigating potential IdP attack vectors. By implementing a comprehensive monitoring and detection strategy, organizations can swiftly respond to IdP attack attempts, safeguard user identities, and protect critical resources.

A SOC playbook for the IdP and MFA threat vectors contains detection alerts that are essential to identifying and responding to potential security incidents.

Monitor and alert for:

• Permission changes implemented by suspicious users
  •  Admin with an unusual location
  •  Admin with an unusual user agent
  •  Admin with an unusual agent version
• Failed Okta authentications for privileged users without a follow-up successful authentication
• Failed Okta authentications for different users coming from the same source
• Reused session IDs
  •  Same session ID with different user agents
  •  Same session ID coming from different countries
• MFA resets

For Okta customers, it is advisable to contact the company directly to obtain more information regarding the potential impact on their organization. Additionally, we offer the following recommendations as immediate action:

Perform a thorough investigation for any of the following recent events in your environment:

• Recent password resets or MFA resets performed by helpdesk or support personnel
• Review all recently created Okta administrators
• Review that all password resets are valid
• Review all MFA-related events, such as MFA resets or changes to any MFA configuration
• Ensure MFA is enabled for all user accounts and administrator accounts, and review actions performed by the administrator accounts

Identity and MFA best practices

Employing security best practices in managing your identities and MFA configuration is paramount in establishing a robust security posture and effectively mitigating the risks associated with unauthorized access and data breaches. By diligently implementing the following measures and best practices, organizations can greatly fortify the safeguarding of identities and bolster the efficacy of their MFA deployment.

• Use Strong and Unique Passwords: Encourage users to create strong, complex, and unique passwords for their accounts. Implement password policies that enforce minimum length, complexity, and regular password changes.
• Implement Least Privilege: Follow the principle of least privilege, granting users only the minimum access necessary to perform their tasks. By limiting user privileges, you reduce the potential impact of compromised credentials.
• Educate Users: User awareness and education play a vital role in maintaining security. Train users on the importance of strong passwords, how to recognize phishing attempts, and how to properly use MFA methods. Regularly remind users to follow security best practices and report any suspicious activities.

Protect against MFA attacks

Traditional MFA methods, such as SMS codes or email-based one-time passwords (OTPs), can be susceptible to phishing attacks. Phishers can intercept these codes or trick users into entering them into fake login pages, bypassing the additional security layer provided by MFA. To address this vulnerability, phish-resistant MFA methods have been developed. These methods aim to ensure that even if users are tricked into entering their credentials on a phishing website, the attacker cannot gain access without the additional authentication factor.

• Use FIDO2-Based MFA: FIDO2 (Fast Identity Online) is a strong authentication standard that provides secure and passwordless authentication. It is recommended to implement FIDO2-based MFA, which uses public key cryptography to enhance security and protect against phishing attacks.
• Utilize Hardware Tokens: Hardware tokens, such as USB security keys or smart cards, can provide an extra level of security for MFA. These physical devices generate one-time passwords or use public key cryptography for authentication, making it difficult for attackers to compromise.

Zscaler’s ThreatLabZ and security teams will continue to monitor the Okta breach. If any further information is disclosed by Okta or discovered through other sources, we will publish an update to this post.