Cyber Kill Chain vs. Mitre Attack

Attribute	Cyber Kill Chain	Mitre Attack
Focus	Phases of a cyber attack	Techniques used by adversaries
Origin	Developed by Lockheed Martin	Developed by Mitre Corporation
Goal	Understand and prevent attacks	Provide a framework for threat intelligence
Stages	7 stages	12 categories
Emphasis	Prevention and defense	Understanding attacker behavior

Cyber Kill Chain Overview

The Cyber Kill Chain is a concept developed by Lockheed Martin to describe the stages of a cyber attack. It consists of seven steps: reconnaissance, weaponization, delivery, exploitation, installation, command and control, and actions on objectives. The idea behind the Cyber Kill Chain is to help organizations understand and defend against cyber threats by breaking down the attack process into manageable stages.

Mitre Attack Overview

Mitre Attack, on the other hand, is a framework developed by the Mitre Corporation to categorize and describe the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by attackers during a cyber attack. It provides a comprehensive list of known attack techniques and links them to specific threat actors and malware. Mitre Attack is widely used in the cybersecurity industry to help organizations understand and respond to cyber threats.

Comparison of Attributes

While both the Cyber Kill Chain and Mitre Attack are used in cybersecurity to understand and defend against cyber threats, they have some key differences in their attributes. One major difference is the focus of each framework. The Cyber Kill Chain focuses on the stages of a cyber attack, while Mitre Attack focuses on the specific tactics and techniques used by attackers.

Another difference between the two frameworks is their level of detail. The Cyber Kill Chain provides a high-level overview of the stages of a cyber attack, while Mitre Attack goes into much more detail by categorizing specific attack techniques and linking them to threat actors and malware. This level of detail can be useful for organizations looking to understand the specific tactics used by attackers.

In terms of usability, the Cyber Kill Chain is often used as a strategic framework for understanding the overall attack process and developing defenses against it. It can help organizations identify weaknesses in their security posture and prioritize their defenses. Mitre Attack, on the other hand, is more tactical in nature and is often used by security analysts and incident responders to identify and respond to specific attack techniques.

One advantage of the Cyber Kill Chain is its simplicity. The seven stages of the Cyber Kill Chain provide a clear and easy-to-understand framework for organizations to follow. This can make it easier for organizations to communicate about cyber threats and develop a coordinated response. Mitre Attack, on the other hand, can be more complex due to its detailed categorization of attack techniques.

Both the Cyber Kill Chain and Mitre Attack have their strengths and weaknesses, and organizations may choose to use one or both frameworks depending on their specific needs. The Cyber Kill Chain can provide a strategic overview of the attack process, while Mitre Attack can offer detailed insights into specific attack techniques. By understanding the attributes of each framework, organizations can better defend against cyber threats and respond effectively to attacks.