FAQ: What Does TTP Mean in the Cybersecurity Industry? (2024)

Information technology is a constantly evolving battlefield where the terms, tools, and threats are never the same between years. This non-stop evolution can make it difficult to keep track of important and outdated terms. Even worse, a single code change can render once reliable techniques obsolete.

This is why cybersecurity professionals have become such an important resource for people and companies worldwide. These cybersecurity teams help protect sensitive information and networks from unauthorized access by outside entities. While these cybersecurity professionals are immensely important, the field is remarkably complicated to enter. The complexity of cybersecurity is part of why there is a shortage of reliable professionals.

While software and firewalls are the main cause of cybersecurity’s complex nature, the terms employed in the field are equally complicated. Some terms are single words used as a euphemism for their role in cybersecurity, while others are acronyms detailing multiple concepts. Sometimes, the words used in cybersecurity look made up because they emulate common terms but with different spelling or odd capitalization.

For the most part, cybersecurity professionals opt to use acronyms more since it enables them to create resources and plans that cover more ground. One of the strangest and most complicated terms in cybersecurity is TTP. Despite being a key concept, not many people know what TTP means or its purpose.

What is TTP?

The term “TTP” is commonly used in cybersecurity because it is one of the most important concepts in the field. Like most terms that consist of seemingly unrelated letters, TTP is an acronym for “Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures.” The concept of TTP is filled with recognizable terms, but those outside the cybersecurity field might struggle to understand the context.

TTP is not an independent concept in cybersecurity and is a part of a larger tool professionals use to secure networks. This concept is called Penetration Testing and is part of the techniques cybersecurity staff use to seek weaknesses in their database.

For most things, the best way to see if there is a weakness is to try and penetrate the defenses yourself and discover the vulnerabilities. In cybersecurity, the technicians launch several steps that allow them to log the issues they locate. This is where TTP becomes important to the process and allows the cybersecurity staff to resolve potential vulnerabilities. Each stage of TTP encompasses a different stage of how a hacker might attempt to bypass security protocols and access-restricted information.

TTP can be broken down as follows:

• Tactics: The “tactics” of TTP are the plan of attack a hacker intends to use to access restricted databases. Essentially, it is the “how” of the matter and how they plan to access information. Understanding the tactics gives cybersecurity professionals an idea of where to focus defenses, but that is not enough.
• Techniques: The “techniques” of TTP are the tools a hacker will use to execute their tactic. Essentially, the tactic is their plan to rob a bank, and the technique is the equipment they plan on using—phishing, malware, etc. Knowing the techniques is extremely important since the tools available to hackers are constantly improving.
• Procedures: The “procedures” of TTP are a detailed account of how the hacker intends to use the techniques to execute the tactic. Basically, cybersecurity professionals put together a playbook to determine all the possible ways a hacker might use resources to complete their attack.

TTP provides cybersecurity professionals with the information they need to protect networks and information more effectively. TTP is the cyber equivalent of “know your enemy,” often cited as the first rule of war. While it might seem dramatic to compare the two, cybersecurity is a form of warfare that takes place on a virtual plane. TTP is the information-gathering stage that tells the troops where to focus their resources and what they will face. The real trick is employing the right defense for the right situation.

What Does TTP Accomplish?

While understanding TTP is important, it might not be clear how it affects the ability of cybersecurity staff to do their job. TTP provides valuable information to cybersecurity professionals, enabling them to protect the networks they oversee. The information allows them to reinforce security and counter hack attempts without wasting valuable time or resources. While the process is not perfect, it is one of the best weapons a cybersecurity team has at its disposal.

The biggest advantage TTP offers is that it allows the team to prioritize attacks in accordance with their risk levels. While every hacking attempt is a threat, some types of hacking are less effective than others and do not require an immediate response. By assessing the risk level of an attack, the cybersecurity team can launch the appropriate countermeasures without sacrificing the security of other parts of the network.

This data also helps them identify recurring attack patterns that might present a threat to the network. When an attack type occurs more than once, it helps the team develop a near-automatic response that renders it almost useless. It also allows them to determine which parts of the network are the most likely targets.

While most people might assume hackers will automatically go for financial records, one can never assume the motivations of a cybercriminal and must let their attack patterns speak for themselves. As time goes on, the team must update the information gathered by TTP since cybercriminals update their tools and tactics. Still, until then, the information lets cybersecurity teams prioritize their defenses accordingly.

As impressive as that is, these are only the direct benefits TTP offers. Several peripheral benefits of TTP help cybersecurity professionals protect against existing threats and locate new ones. Every attack launched gives the team insight into the type of person they are dealing with and gives them access to hints and data they can use to protect against that attacker. Most people do not know that this information can also help the team identify the attacker’s associates.

With a little work, the team can use the hack to identify the hacker and their associates. Some hackers correspond with one another to trade tips and tools but identifying the associates of a hacker help put those other criminals on the team’s radar. It is worth noting that TTP is not reliant on a hack attempt to be beneficial since cybersecurity professionals can launch independent research.

There are several forums in which hackers exchange stories about successful or failed hack attempts and the techniques they employ. The team can examine these forums for the sake of TTP security to gain insight into potential techniques hackers might use in the future. This gives the team time to tweak their policies and practices to account for potential threats while protecting against existing ones.

Even partially successful breaches work in favor of TTP security measures since the cybersecurity team can reverse-engineer the event. Doing so provides valuable insight into the exact method employed to breach the firewalls and access the information. This data further enables the rectification of the existing security measures to mitigate or prevent repeat incidents.

Ultimately, TTP is a tool cybersecurity professionals use to protect against threats and hack attempts preemptively. Unfortunately, TTP benefits can be hindered by the difficulty of gathering relevant data. Cybersecurity teams cannot gather actionable TTP information without proper tools and training. Fortunately, the team can use several options to gather TTP data and enhance your protection.

What is Penetration Testing?

Earlier, we discussed that TTP is a key aspect of penetration testing employed by cybersecurity teams. While the name does offer insight, and we gave a slight explanation, understanding penetration testing can help cement the benefits of TTP. As we mentioned before, sometimes the best way to discover a vulnerability is to go looking for it as though you wanted to exploit the problem.

Since most TTP is gathered following a hack attempt, the data comes with an inherent risk since you cannot always control the outcome. Penetration testing is a well-tested technique that enables a team to search for vulnerabilities as though they were hackers without any real risk.

Penetration testing is conducted when the cybersecurity team launches a simulated cyberattack on the network with the full range of defenses in place. It tests for firewall vulnerabilities and gauges the effectiveness of the established countermeasures. This enables the cybersecurity team to see what needs to be improved and assess the risk of certain hack techniques real cybercriminals might employ. Penetration testing also takes multiple forms to ensure the most comprehensive results are available.

The main types of penetration testing are:

• Open-Box Testing: Open-box testing is a penetration test where the testers have firsthand knowledge of the system they are testing.
• Closed-Box Testing: Closed-box testing is a penetration test where the testers have no prior knowledge of the system they are testing.
• Covert Testing: Covert testing is a penetration test where the “hacker” attempts to access the system without alerting the team.
• Internal Testing: Internal testing is a type of penetration test where the testers are members of the company’s staff.
• External Testing: External testing is a penetration test where the testers have no association with the company and are contracted to perform the test.
• Blind Testing: Blind testing is a penetration test where the “hacker” has no prior knowledge of the tested system.
• Double-Blind Testing: Double-blind testing is a penetration test where neither the “hacker” nor the cybersecurity team has prior knowledge of the system being tested.
• Targeted Testing: Targeted testing is a penetration test focusing on a specific part of the network rather than the whole thing.

These penetration tests provide insight into a system’s vulnerability, with external and blind testing being the best options. A team with prior knowledge could easily find access points unavailable to outside forces and stick to established techniques. A team without the knowledge will experiment more and likely uncover techniques or vulnerabilities that might have been overlooked. Either way, penetration testing is an excellent source of controlled TTP that can produce a baseline defense for a network or database.

The TTP produced by a penetration test comes with an expiration date since the system will be updated as genuine threats arise. Therefore, the cybersecurity team must conduct frequent additional tests to continue probing for potential issues. Generally, you should conduct another penetration test every year after the first, but some factors might affect how frequently you should test. Ultimately, TTP and penetration testing require a reliable and effective cybersecurity team to work.

Technically Speaking…

TTP and penetration testing are closely intertwined since penetration testing provides the first round of TTP your network needs. The tactics, techniques, and procedures employed by cybercriminals will never be the same from one year to another. Keeping apprised of the software changes will help maintain your network’s security by giving you insight into what threats might arise. Unfortunately, no system is perfect, and cybercriminals are sometimes successful in bypassing your network security.

This can be detrimental to your privacy and any clients you have. This is why having a well-trained and equipped cybersecurity team is crucial to your network security. They will be able to acquire the TTP necessary to stay as far ahead of the hackers as possible and adjust your system. Unfortunately, financing an in-house cybersecurity team is a very expensive prospect.

To that end, we at U.S. Cybersecurity would like to offer our assistance in protecting your network. We specialize in providing cybersecurity services that will protect your network and your data from prying eyes. Penetration testing is among the services we offer to allow our team to generate the first round of TTP on your behalf. Our team will continue to search for TTP as long as you retain their services, so you should never fall behind on updated security measures.

Few tools are as important as cybersecurity in the modern era since virtually everything about us can be found on digital platforms. We encourage you to visit our website, assess our services for yourself, and take the next step toward protecting your data. We are standing by and ready to assist you with your cybersecurity needs at a moment’s notice.