BlastWave Use Cases: Protection Against AI-Powered Attacks

Challenge Met: Blocking AI Attack vectors

Stopping reconnaissance and phishing requires a multi-layered approach, and a Zero Trust solution that combines network cloaking and passwordless MFA offers a powerful defense against these evolving threats.

Here's how it works:

Network cloaking: By rendering critical assets undiscoverable to unauthorized users, network cloaking effectively neutralizes reconnaissance attempts. Attackers can't gather the information they need to launch targeted attacks, including phishing campaigns. The network becomes a "black box," preventing internal system mapping and identifying vulnerabilities.
Passwordless MFA: Traditional passwords are vulnerable to phishing attacks, where attackers trick users into revealing their credentials. Passwordless MFA eliminates this vulnerability using stronger authentication methods like biometrics or hardware tokens. This ensures that even if an attacker obtains a user's password through phishing, they still can't access the network.
Zero Trust Framework: The Zero Trust framework underpins this approach by assuming no user or device is inherently trustworthy. Every connection attempt is verified, authenticated, and authorized before access. This limits lateral movement within the network and prevents attackers from exploiting compromised credentials.

This combination of technologies creates a proactive defense against reconnaissance and phishing, two of today's most common AI-powered attack vectors. BlastShield significantly reduces the attack surface and strengthens the overall security posture by making the network undiscoverable and eliminating password vulnerabilities.

The Ideal World: AI-Resistant OT Cybersecurity Protection

Imagine a world where AI-powered attacks are rendered powerless, their sophisticated reconnaissance and cunning phishing schemes thwarted before they begin. This is the promise of a security approach that prioritizes proactive defense.

By preventing AI reconnaissance, we effectively blind the attackers. Network cloaking, secure overlays, and other advanced techniques make critical infrastructure invisible to malicious AI algorithms, denying them the information they need to launch targeted attacks. The network becomes a fortress, hidden in plain sight.

Simultaneously, eliminating phishing removes the human element from the equation. Passwordless authentication, robust identity verification, and ease-of-use create a human firewall, impervious to even the most sophisticated social engineering tactics. AI-powered phishing attacks, designed to exploit human psychology, are rendered ineffective against a workforce that no longer uses credentials.

In this ideal world, critical infrastructure operates securely and reliably. Operators focus on their core tasks, free from the constant threat of cyberattacks. Innovation flourishes, unhindered by the fear of disruption. Society benefits from the uninterrupted flow of essential services, powered by a secure and resilient digital foundation. This is the future we can achieve by proactively addressing the evolving threat of AI-powered attacks, building a world where technology empowers, not endangers.

How We do It:

Network Cloaking and Passwordless MFA for OT Reconnaissance and Phishing Prevention

Combine network cloaking and passwordless Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to defend an OT network against AI-powered reconnaissance and phishing attacks.

Rationale:

AI-driven reconnaissance can rapidly map network vulnerabilities, while sophisticated phishing attacks bypass traditional security measures. Passwordless MFA and network cloaking are crucial in mitigating these threats.

Technical Configuration:

Network Cloaking

Deploy Network Cloaking as a secure overlay to the OT network:
- Deploy BlastShield in front of the unpatchable OT segment.
- Implement cloaking overlay to hide the internal IP address space.
- Deny all external connections except Zero Trust Access
Protocol Filtering and Obfuscation:
- Allow only essential OT protocols required for operation for each device or group of devices.
Dynamic DNS for the Overlay Cloak:
- Use dynamic DNS to map device hostnames to cloaked IP addresses

Passwordless Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Deploy BlastShield
- Deploy a BlastShield gateway between the cloaked OT segment and the rest of the network.
- Configure the gateway to act as a micro-segmentation controller.
Identity-Based Access Control:
- Activate Secure Remote Access and Authentication on BlastShield
Biometric Authentication:
- Utilize fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, or other biometric methods for user authentication.
- Ensure that biometric data is securely stored and processed.
FIDO2 Security Keys:
- Deploy FIDO2 security keys to users for strong, phishing-resistant authentication.
- Enforce the use of FIDO2 keys for all access attempts.
Device-Based Authentication:
- Utilize device-based authentication methods, such as mobile push notifications or device certificates.
- Ensure that devices are registered and managed securely.
Least Privilege Principle:
- Grant access only to authorized users or devices based on the principle of least privilege.
- Require explicit authorization for all access requests.
Contextual Access Control:
- Consider factors like time, location, and device posture when granting access.
- Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all access attempts.
Microsegmentation:
- Create microsegments within the cloaked OT network based on device function or criticality.
- Enforce strict access control policies between microsegments.

Implementation Considerations:

OT Protocol Compatibility: Ensure security measures do not interfere with legitimate OT protocol traffic.
Performance Impact: Evaluate the performance impact of network cloaking and passwordless MFA on OT network operations.
User Experience: BlastShield’s user-friendly passwordless MFA solution minimizes disruption to OT operations.
Device Compatibility: Ensure BlastShield’s passwordless MFA solution is compatible with all devices used to access the OT network.
Redundancy and Failover: Implement redundancy and failover mechanisms to ensure high availability of the security infrastructure.
Security Hardening: Secure all security components according to best practices.
Regular Audits and Penetration Testing: Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and address vulnerabilities.
Continuous Monitoring and Logging: Implement comprehensive logging and monitoring to detect and respond to security incidents.

Benefits:

Enhanced Security Posture: Network cloaking and passwordless MFA significantly reduce the attack surface and prevent AI-powered reconnaissance and phishing attacks.
Reduced Risk of Data Breaches: Passwordless MFA eliminates the risk of stolen credentials, preventing unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Increased Operational Resilience: Organizations can maintain operational continuity and minimize downtime by preventing successful attacks.
Improved Compliance: Helps meet regulatory requirements and industry standards.

Protection Against AI-Powered Attacks

TLDR: Stop AI-powered attacks before they start