Extending Threat Playbooks for Cyber Threat Intelligence: A Novel Approach for APT Attribution

As cyber attacks grow in complexity and frequency, cyber threat intelligence (CTI) remains a priority objective for defenders. A critical component of CTI at the strategic level of defensive operations is attack attribution. Attributing an attack to a threat group informs defenders on adversaries that are actively engaging them and advances their ability respond. In this paper, we propose a data analytic approach towards threat attribution using adversary playbooks of tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). Specifically, our approach uses association rule mining on a large real world CTI dataset to extend known threat TTP playbooks with statistically probable TTPs the adversary may deploy. The benefits are twofold. First, we offer a dataset of learned TTP associations and extended threat playbooks. Second, we show that we can attribute attacks using a weighted Jaccard similarity with 96% accuracy

Influence of Spray Angle and Carrier Gas Type on Micro Cold Spray Deposition of Cu Coatings on AlN Substrates

Deposition onto conformal or angled surfaces not normal to the deposition nozzle is one of the primary impediments to implementing micro cold spray (MCS) as a film deposition technique for mass production. Increasing the ability for MCS techniques to effectively deposit on the complex geometries intrinsic to manufacturing requires understanding the effects changing deposition angles has on the film coherence, both within itself and to the substrate. In this study, deposition angle and MCS carrier gas composition are proposed and tested as variables that affect the MCS film morphology and coherence. Three gas compositions are each used to deposit MCS films at intervals of ten degrees from normal to the deposition nozzle down to 50°. Films were then tested for coherence and adhesion before being examined optically and through scanning electron microscopy to identify patterns among the various carrier gas-angle combinations

Modeling Vegetation-Erosion Dynamics using Differential Equations with Human Factors

The effects of soil erosion are often devastating. Plants can reduce erosion by slowing runoff and reinforcing soil using its roots. In this project, we investigate the dynamic relationship between vegetation and erosion processes. We assume an inverse relationship between vegetation density and soil erosion: that is, an increase in vegetation cover reverses soil degradation and a decrease in vegetation cover intensifies the problem of erosion. We also assume that human activities (like logging, road-building) affect both vegetation development and resilience against erosion. Our model for the vegetation-erosion dynamics is a two-dimensional nonlinear system of differential equations with logistic growth on both variables. Equilibrium and nullcline analysis methods are applied to determine all possible dynamic scenarios between vegetation and erosion. The resulting parameter conditions can be used to analyze bifurcations on the vegetation and erosion dynamics

The Great Attack: Survivors\u27 Tales

This is the story of the Great Attack. Where various EDTs (sometimes working together and sometimes singularly) were paired with traditional kinetic weapons in an attempt to create WMD-like effects. Adversaries staying away from WMD payloads kept themselves under the radar. Yet, they still created the three devastating phases (not with a singular bomb drop but in a series of actions designed to bring a country to its knees). They shattered our way of life and proved that the homeland is no longer a sanctuary space.https://digitalcommons.usmalibrary.org/aci_books/1044/thumbnail.jp