What is MITRE ATT&CK?
MITRE ATT&CK (Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Common Knowledge) is a globally accessible knowledge base of adversary tactics and techniques based on real-world observations. It serves as a foundation for developing threat models and methodologies in the cybersecurity community.
Created and maintained by MITRE Corporation, ATT&CK provides a comprehensive matrix of how threat actors operate throughout the attack lifecycle—from initial access to data exfiltration and impact.
Why MITRE ATT&CK Matters for Risk Assessment
When assessing cyber risk, it's not enough to think in abstract terms like "data breach" or "ransomware." MITRE ATT&CK helps you understand the specific techniques adversaries use, enabling more accurate threat modeling and control evaluation.
The ATT&CK Matrix Structure
The framework is organized into 14 tactics representing the adversary's technical goals during an attack:
- Reconnaissance - Gathering information to plan future operations
- Resource Development - Establishing resources to support operations
- Initial Access - Getting into your network
- Execution - Running malicious code
- Persistence - Maintaining foothold
- Privilege Escalation - Gaining higher-level permissions
- Defense Evasion - Avoiding detection
- Credential Access - Stealing account credentials
- Discovery - Figuring out your environment
- Lateral Movement - Moving through your network
- Collection - Gathering data of interest
- Command and Control - Communicating with compromised systems
- Exfiltration - Stealing data
- Impact - Disrupting availability or integrity
Each tactic contains multiple techniques (and sub-techniques) that describe specific methods adversaries use to achieve that tactical goal.
Example: Ransomware Attack Chain
A typical ransomware attack might use these techniques:
- T1566.001 Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment - Initial Access
- T1204.002 User Execution: Malicious File - Execution
- T1078 Valid Accounts - Persistence & Privilege Escalation
- T1486 Data Encrypted for Impact - Impact
How OpenImpactCascade Uses MITRE ATT&CK
1. Threat Intelligence Grounding
Our AI questionnaire generator references MITRE ATT&CK techniques when identifying relevant threats for your industry and region. This ensures that threat scenarios are based on documented, real-world attack patterns rather than hypothetical risks.
2. Technique-Specific Risk Scenarios
Each threat scenario in your questionnaire includes specific ATT&CK technique IDs, helping you understand:
- What adversaries actually do in attacks
- Which controls would detect or prevent each technique
- How different techniques chain together in attack sequences
3. Control Effectiveness Mapping
When evaluating your security controls, we map them to the ATT&CK techniques they're designed to mitigate. This helps you identify coverage gaps and prioritize investments based on the most relevant threats to your organization.
Industry-Specific Threat Intelligence
MITRE maintains industry-specific threat profiles showing which techniques are most commonly used against healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and other sectors. Our platform leverages this intelligence to tailor questionnaires to your specific threat landscape.
ATT&CK in Practice: A Healthcare Example
Healthcare organizations face unique threats. According to MITRE ATT&CK data and CISA advisories, common attack patterns include:
Scenario: Ransomware Targeting Electronic Health Records
Attack Chain:
- T1566.001 Phishing email with malicious attachment sent to staff
- T1204.002 User opens attachment, executing malware
- T1078 Malware uses stolen credentials to access EHR system
- T1021.001 Lateral movement via Remote Desktop Protocol
- T1486 Encryption of patient data and backups
- T1657 Financial theft via ransom payment
Relevant Controls:
- Email security (blocks T1566.001)
- Endpoint detection and response (detects T1204.002, T1486)
- Multi-factor authentication (mitigates T1078)
- Network segmentation (limits T1021.001)
- Offline backups (reduces impact of T1486)
Learning More About MITRE ATT&CK
To dive deeper into the framework:
- Official MITRE ATT&CK Website - Browse the full matrix
- Enterprise ATT&CK Matrix - Most relevant for organizational risk assessment
- Getting Started Guide - Learn how to use ATT&CK effectively
- Threat Actor Groups - See which groups target your industry
Ready to Build Your Risk Assessment?
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