What Happened Before the Breach?

A major retailer has just suffered a massive data breach. Customer credit card information is circulating on the dark web, fraudulent transactions are skyrocketing, and consumer trust is rapidly eroding. The attack was stealthy, persistent, and devastating. But how did it happen? To fully understand, we must retrace the steps, examining what traditional security logs missed and how packet data could have stopped the breach before it escalated.

As we analyze each stage of the breach, we’ll explore how log-based monitoring provided limited insights, whereas packet data could have delivered the depth and clarity needed to thwart the attack.

Step 1: The Fallout

What Happened

News of the breach has spread. Customers are disputing fraudulent charges, banks are flagging suspicious transactions, and regulatory investigations are underway. The retailer is facing hefty fines and reputational damage, and security teams are scrambling for answers.

• What logs provided: Logs recorded unusually high volumes of transactions and flagged multiple failed payment authorization attempts, but they lacked the ability to trace the stolen card data back to its source.
• What packet data could have provided: Packet data would have revealed the precise data being exfiltrated, the methods used to bypass encryption, and the exact flow of stolen credit card numbers, enabling immediate detection and response.

Step 2: The Data Exfiltration

What Happened

Before the breach became public, attackers extracted payment data in small, incremental batches to avoid detection. They leveraged encrypted traffic to mask their activities.

• What logs provided: Logs flagged sporadic outbound connections to unknown IP addresses, but due to encryption, security teams couldn’t see the nature of the data being transferred.
• What packet data could have provided: Packet data could have analyzed the traffic at the packet level, detecting anomalies in encryption methods, packet sizes, and frequency patterns to uncover covert data exfiltration.

Step 3: The Lateral Movement

What Happened

After gaining initial access, the attackers moved laterally across point-of-sale (POS) systems and databases, escalating privileges and injecting malicious scripts to harvest payment data in real time.

• What logs provided: Logs recorded multiple login attempts across systems, but they failed to detect abnormal authentication patterns or unauthorized database queries.
• What packet data could have provided: Packet data could have detected unauthorized database queries, POS system compromises, and the movement of stolen card data across internal networks, providing early warning signs of the attack.

Step 4: The Initial Compromise

What Happened

The breach started with a supply chain attack; attackers compromised a third-party vendor that provided software updates for the retailer’s POS systems. A malicious update was pushed, embedding malware that harvested payment card details at checkout.

• What logs provided: Logs recorded the update installation but did not detect any malicious behavior because the update appeared to be from a trusted vendor.
• What packet data could have provided: Packet data could have identified unauthorized outbound communications from infected POS terminals, flagging unusual payloads and command-and-control traffic indicative of a malware infection.

What Could Have Been Done?

Throughout this attack, packet data could have provided visibility and insights that log data failed to deliver. Logs are valuable but often provide only a fragmented view of network activity. Packet data, however, offers:

• Complete transaction visibility to detect credit card data exfiltration in real time
• Deep inspection of encrypted traffic to uncover hidden threats and anomalies
• Forensic investigation capabilities to trace every movement of the attackers within the network

Could This Happen Again?

As retailers face increasing cyberthreats, they must ask: Are they relying solely on logs, or are they leveraging the unparalleled insight of packet data? The next breach could already be in motion; the key to stopping it lies in listening to the network. Are you paying attention?

Learn how NETSCOUT Omnis Cyber Intelligence can help by providing comprehensive network visibility with scalable deep packet inspection (DPI) to detect, investigate, and respond to threats more efficiently.