Episode 43 — Analyze intrusions through the kill chain lens
The Cyber Kill Chain provides a powerful, linear lens for analyzing intrusions and identifying the specific stages where an adversary is most vulnerable to detection and disruption. This episode breaks down the seven stages of the Lockheed Martin model—from reconnaissance and weaponization to actions on objectives—and explains how to map your technical observations to each phase. We discuss the "defensive gap analysis," where an organization uses the kill chain to see which stages they have good visibility into and where they are currently "blind" to attacker activity. For the GCTI exam, you must demonstrate the ability to identify an attacker's progress through the chain and select the appropriate "course of action" for each stage. Real-world application involves "breaking the chain" as early as possible to minimize the damage and the cost of an intrusion. Mastering the kill chain lens ensures your analysis is structured, repeatable, and capable of providing clear guidance for incident responders. Produced by BareMetalCyber.com, where you’ll find more cyber audio courses, books, and information to strengthen your educational path. Also, if you want to stay up to date with the latest news, visit DailyCyber.News for a newsletter you can use, and a daily podcast you can commute with.
