Modeling pentests around the ICS Kill Chain

As we discussed in the previous section, ICS environments are ideal targets for attackers with inherent risks associated with the uniqueness of the ICS environment. Because of these unique characteristics and the architecture of ICS environments, serious attackers will follow a unique approach to attack the industrial network (kill chain). It makes sense to model a pentest around this unique attack approach. One of the best writeups detailing this attack approach comes in the form of the industrial control system Cyber Kill Chain, as presented by the SANS institute, which can be found here: https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/ICS/industrial-control-system-cyber-kill-chain-36297.

Let's start our discussion by explaining the Cyber Kill Chain.

The Cyber Kill Chain explained

The concept of the Cyber Kill Chain was first created by analysts of the military defense corporation Lockheed Martin. They published a paper in 2011...