Adapting Cybersecurity Best Practices to Evolving Threats

Given the current threat landscape—with threats such as Scattered Spider (also known as UNC3944), tensions from nation-state actors tied to the Iran conflict, and impactful incidents like the Aflac breach—cybersecurity best practices must evolve to meet increasingly sophisticated, persistent, and coordinated threats. Below is a breakdown of critical cybersecurity controls and best practices to defend against both criminal and nation-state-level threats:

1. Identity and Access Management (IAM)

• Implement MFA everywhere (especially phishing-resistant MFA like FIDO2 or push-based methods).

• Enforce least privilege via role-based or attribute-based access control (RBAC/ABAC).

• Continuously audit and rotate credentials, particularly for cloud services and service accounts.

• Use Just-in-Time (JIT) access provisioning to reduce the standing privilege window.

Scattered Spider's tactics often involve SIM swapping, social engineering of help desks, and credential compromise, making strong identity hygiene crucial.

2. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR/XDR)

• Deploy EDR across all endpoints (workstations, laptops, servers, virtual desktops).

• Consider XDR to correlate logs across endpoint, network, and cloud sources.

• Ensure 24/7 monitoring—in-house or via a reliable Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service.

3. Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

• Harden cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP) with tools like Prisma Cloud, Wiz, or native tools.

• Enforce conditional access policies and GeoIP restrictions where possible.

• Monitor for unauthorized API usage, privilege escalation, and identity and access management (IAM) drift to ensure compliance and security.

4. Security Awareness & Social Engineering Defense

• Train employees on voice phishing (vishing) and social engineering scenarios, particularly those targeting IT and help desk staff.

• Use red team simulations to identify exploitable human vectors.

• Develop strong help desk authentication policies (e.g., no password resets over the phone without multi-factor verification).

  
  

Scattered Spider and similar groups are notorious for exploiting humans, not just systems.

5. Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)

• Assume breach: validate every user, every device, every time.

• Use microsegmentation to isolate high-value assets (e.g., financial systems, PII databases).

• Apply continuous monitoring and adaptive risk-based access controls.

6. Vulnerability & Patch Management

• Deploy automated patch management tools with aggressive timelines (especially for internet-facing systems).

• Track zero-days and CVEs under active exploitation via CISA KEV and apply mitigations rapidly.

• Ensure third-party software (e.g., VPNs, RMM tools) is hardened and up to date.

7. Threat Intelligence & Threat Hunting

• Leverage threat intelligence platforms (TIPs) that monitor APT groups (e.g., Scattered Spider, Iranian groups like APT39).

• Conduct proactive threat hunting based on IOCs, TTPs, and MITRE ATT&CK mapping.

• Join ISACs (e.g., FS-ISAC for financial orgs) to share and receive actionable intel.

8. Incident Response Readiness

• Maintain an incident response plan that includes coordination with legal, communications, and insurance departments.

• Run tabletop exercises with executive leadership and third-party partners (legal, IR firms, PR).

• Establish clear RACI models for IR activities and pre-approved playbooks for specific incidents, such as ransomware, data exfiltration, and cloud compromise, to ensure effective incident response.

9. Data Protection & Monitoring

• Use data loss prevention (DLP) tools across endpoints, cloud, and email systems.

• Encrypt data in transit and at rest; monitor for bulk data movement or anomalous downloads.

• Ensure logs are centralized and immutable (e.g., using a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system or a log vault).

10. Third-Party and Supply Chain Security

• Conduct security due diligence and risk assessments for vendors and partners.

• Implement continuous vendor monitoring, particularly for high-privilege third parties.

• Limit external access scopes, enforce MFA for vendor accounts, and monitor vendor-related activity.

Emerging Controls to Consider

• Behavioral Biometrics: Add an extra layer of identity assurance beyond MFA.

• Deception Technology: Honeypots and honeytokens to detect lateral movement and malicious behavior early.

• Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and ZTNA: Modernize remote access beyond traditional VPNs.

 Final Recommendations

• Stay updated on adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) (e.g., from MDR, CISA, and Microsoft Threat Intelligence).

• Maintain a Cyber Insurance Plan with defined retainer agreements for incident response, legal, and public relations.

Adopt a continuous improvement cycle: detect ➜ respond ➜ review ➜ improve.

About the Author:

Nate Hall is a senior cybersecurity executive with over a decade of experience specializing in Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR), serving clients across insurance, private equity, and Fortune 100 sectors. He has a proven track record of driving revenue growth, scaling incident response programs, and building high-performing technical teams equipped to handle complex and high-stakes cyber events.

Trusted by legal counsel, insurers, and enterprise executives alike, Nate excels at advising stakeholders through crises while ensuring alignment between cybersecurity initiatives and broader business objectives. His expertise encompasses risk management, compliance, governance, and the development of robust security strategies that protect critical organizational assets.

As a collaborative leader and speaker in cybersecurity, Nate is passionate about staying ahead of emerging threats and evolving technologies. Nate works closely with cross-functional teams to integrate security into business operations, manage vendor relationships, and optimize security investments. His goal is to continually enhance the resilience and readiness of the organizations he serves.