NodeZero Tripwires™
Overview
NodeZero Tripwires™ integrates seamlessly with NodeZero's autonomous pentesting, adding an extra layer of early threat detection to your security stack. These "tripwires" act as decoys, appearing as legitimate files or credentials within your environment. During a pentest, NodeZero automatically places these tripwires along critical attack paths based on identified vulnerabilities. If a malicious actor triggers one of these tripwires, you’ll be immediately alerted, allowing for rapid response and containment.
Tripwires are a form of honeytokens—decoys that look and feel like they belong in your network but are designed to attract attackers. These tokens are strategically deployed to assets at high risk, based on NodeZero’s autonomous pentest results. They are lightweight, resource-efficient, and remain silent until triggered. Only when activated does a tripwire communicate with Horizon3.ai's cloud infrastructure, ensuring minimal impact on your network's performance.
NodeZero Tripwires is an add-on to the core NodeZero product and includes the following key capabilities:
- Automated Deployment: NodeZero deploys tripwires in high-risk assets automatically, simplifying the process of adding deception to your security stack.
- Effective Threat Detection: Tripwires are highly attractive to attackers and are always active.
- Immediate Alerting: As soon as malicious activity is detected on a tripwire, you’ll receive alerts through the portal and via email.
- Seamless Integration: Tripwire alerts can be integrated into your existing workflows through webhooks, allowing notifications to flow into your SIEM or other monitoring tools.
Understand Tripwires
Tripwires serve as highly attractive targets for attackers, often placed in assets where NodeZero detected vulnerabilities during testing. Unlike traditional beacons, they don't communicate until they're triggered, at which point they alert Horizon3.ai's systems.
In most cases, NodeZero may deploy up to two tripwires per asset during testing, depending on the asset type. Tripwires are placed where NodeZero has gained access through exploiting a vulnerability, deploying either a Remote Access Tool (RAT) or by directly writing to the asset.
Tripwire Types
Currently, there are three types of tripwires that NodeZero deploys:
| Type | Details | Where they're placed | Detection method |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Credentials File | Real credentials generated by Horizon3.ai that blend into your network environment. | Network shares, Windows/Linux machines | When an actor attempts to use the credentials, NodeZero detects the attempt. |
| MySQL Dump File | Deceptive dump file, crafted to attract attention from attackers. | Network shares, Linux servers | An actor attempting to import or load the contents triggers a DNS callback to NodeZero’s systems, allowing detection. |
| Windows Suspicious Process Monitor | Monitors these processes: tasklist.exe, certutil.exe, systeminfo.exe, netstat.exe, at.exe, wmic.exe. | Windows 7 (and later) machines | When an actor executes monitored commands, NodeZero detects the activity and sets off a DNS callback to NodeZero’s systems. |
Final Notes
NodeZero Tripwires act as a passive yet powerful defense mechanism, silently waiting until a malicious actor attempts to interact with them. By strategically placing these decoys in high-value areas, you gain crucial insight into potential threats, enabling swift, decisive action when an attack occurs.
Best of all, Tripwires integrate seamlessly into your existing workflows, enhancing your security posture without adding manual overhead. This makes them an invaluable asset in defending your organization from increasingly sophisticated adversaries.
Ready to take the next step? Explore the Getting Started guide to dive deeper into configuring and using Tripwires, and learn how you can start leveraging them to strengthen your security defenses today!