TITLE:
The Evolution of Integrated Advance Persistent Threat and Its Defense Solutions: A Literature Review
AUTHORS:
Jun Zhang, Dan Tenney
KEYWORDS:
Generative Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity Management, Cybercrime Analysis, Social Engineering, Advanced Persistent Threats
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.12 No.1,
January
26,
2024
ABSTRACT: In 2023, the dawn of Generative Artificial
Intelligence, cybercriminals thrive in the underground domain of the dark web
ecosystem, powered by cutting-edge technology and all sorts of
Cybercrime-as-a-Service weaponry. This complete dark supply chain offers a
diverse array of vicious yet non-tech savvy friendly services, from Phishing to
Malware. This can significantly lower the barriers to entry for even non-tech
savvy person to launch IAPT attacks against large targets such as governments
and corporations, as social engineering is the only required skill which now
can be augmented by Large Language Models. Despite this gruesome reality, the
current academic research lacks a comprehensive understanding such arsenal of
Integrated Advanced Persistent Threats (IAPT) within the dark web ecosystem.
This work aims to bridge the knowledge gap with a comprehensive literature
review on IAPT, which is nowadays augmented with threat infrastructure. It will
analyze the attack chain, highlight notable CaaS providers and techniques, and
discuss possible defense strategies with the consideration of small to
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It will also motivate further research in the
new area of Psybersecurity/Secoanalysis by incorporating psychological/psychoanalytical, sociocultural, and
sociopolitical tools into cybersecurity and management.