Insider Threats Changed Your Device Configuration – Here’s How to Respond

Sometimes, the call is coming from inside the house. While most organizations calibrate to protect their devices from external threats, insiders can pose just as much of a risk to device security, even by accident. Because trusted insiders already have access, their actions can easily fly under the radar, especially in Internet of Things (IoT) environments, where logging, monitoring, and role-based access control (RBAC) are often weak or nonexistent. 

The aftermath of an incident where an insider alters a device’s configuration necessitates a swift response to secure and stabilize devices. Returning devices to a hardened state is critical to maintain device security and protect sensitive information. Organizations must ensure they can quickly identify unauthorized changes and return the device to its last known good state to prevent further compromise.

Understanding the Impact of Malicious Configuration Changes

Cyber attacks aren’t always launched from outside the network. Some of the most damaging incidents originate from trusted insiders, individuals with legitimate access who abuse their privileges to cause harm. While some insider threats are not overly malicious, accidental harm can still have serious consequences. Security teams refer to this as an insider threat, and for organizations with a large IoT device fleet, it represents a serious and often overlooked risk.

Trusted insiders, particularly those with privileged access, can interact with IoT devices in ways that are off-limits to most users. For example, IT personnel, system administrators, or healthcare technology management (HTM) team members may be able to alter device configurations, push updates, or make changes as part of routine maintenance. 

Malicious insiders may also use privilege escalation to obtain admin-level control over devices they otherwise lack access to. This control can give them access to sensitive company data and assets. Often, problems arise when former employees retain access to devices after leaving the company or when users have a higher level of access than needed to perform their job duties. Regardless, IoT devices can be ideal targets due to the sensitive data they handle and their importance in critical operations.

For example, a networked smart sensor could be reconfigured to exfiltrate sensitive data. In 2017, a casino was surprised to find that the source of its data leak was an IoT sensor located in its aquarium. Alternatively, a technician performing maintenance on a smart infusion pump could unintentionally reset the device’s configuration, re-enabling unsecured services. While the latter example is accidental, both have the same outcome: an IoT device’s hardened state was disrupted, creating security risks.  

Importance of Reverting Devices to a Hardened State

After an insider attack, it’s critical to assess the damage and identify impacted devices. The insider may have exploited their legitimate access to resources, bypassing traditional security vulnerabilities. This can lead to the loss of sensitive information and even cause regulatory and compliance issues.

Without hardening the device post-incident, organizations risk repeat compromise. After all, whether the device’s configuration drifted due to well-meaning changes, a ransomware attack, or insider access, it could create opportunities for malicious actors to maintain a presence in the network.

By restoring the device to a known good, secure configuration, you effectively:

• Remove unauthorized changes that the malicious actor may have made.
• Eliminate potential footholds for president access, such as open ports, default credentials, or disabled logging.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies or regulatory frameworks (like HIPAA, NIST, etc.).
• Reestablish trust in the device’s functionality and behavior within the network.

How to Revert to A Hardened State After Malicious Changes

Configuration drift, intentional or accidental, is the silent killer of security. When an IoT device is compromised, restoring it to a secure, hardened state is the first order of business. The following is a non-exhaustive list of steps to recover IoT assets after an attack:

• Isolate the Affected IoT Device: Once you confirm the presence of ransomware, power down and disconnect any infected devices from the network to prevent the ransomware from spreading. 
• Investigate and Identify Malicious Configuration Changes: Security teams should review logs for any indication of anomalous behavior or unauthorized access.
• Restore to a Known Good Configuration: Restore the device configuration to its last known good configuration. Organizations that use an IoT security platform should restore the device’s configuration to the last approved baseline snapshot, ensuring all security settings are intact.
• Apply Security Patches and Updates: After restoring the device configuration, check to ensure any outstanding security patches and updates are applied to the device to address any known vulnerabilities.
• Reconfigure the IoT Device to Its Hardened State: Ensure all default credentials are changed, unnecessary services are disabled, and the device has been properly reconfigured to meet the original hardened state.
• Monitor for Further Suspicious Activity: Once recovery is complete, continuously monitor the device for any signs of lingering malware or unauthorized access. 

Enhance IoT Device Security and Avoid Configuration Tampering

One of the most effective ways to reduce device risk is by applying privileged access management (PAM) best practices, ensuring that only employees with a job-related need can alter device settings or configurations. By limiting access based on necessity, organizations can reduce the chances of accidental misconfigurations and intentional misuse.

Beyond access control, comprehensive device hardening is essential, as many IoT devices ship with weak security settings by default. As a best practice, every connected device on the network should operate with clearly defined settings and only communicate with other devices in well-understood ways. This helps security teams quickly identify anomalous behavior and re-harden compromised devices before a full-scale incident occurs. 

To make device risk mitigation activities scalable, organizations should consider using an IoT security platform. These platforms provide critical visibility, starting with an up-to-date inventory of every connected device, allowing organizations to understand the entirety of their attack surface. From here, internal teams can make tactical risk mitigation decisions, including disabling internet access and other unnecessary services, enforcing authentication requirements, and applying patches where possible. Once the device’s configuration is in a known good state, the IoT security platform can record it to facilitate re-hardening in the event of intentional or accidental changes. 

Finally, the right IoT platform can also fight against configuration drift, enabling real-time insights into changes impacting device security. By flagging these changes and enabling rapid recovery, the platform becomes a key tool in incident response and recovery, helping restore devices to a hardened, trusted state.

Harden IoT Devices and Simplify Recovery Efforts With Asimily

Most organizations are prepared for attacks from outside the network. But when malicious actors shift a device out of its hardened state, it’s essential to act quickly to avoid a full-blown security incident. Controlling access to IoT devices, combined with using an IoT security platform for robust monitoring, can prevent tampering and mitigate the risks of insecure devices.

The Asimily platform was purpose-built for connected device security. Now, with Asimily Configuration Control, organizations gain access to a “digital time machine” that ensures their connected device fleet continues operating in an approved, known good state. With Configuration Control, teams can quickly and easily compare any device to its known good state, highlighting any changes and effortlessly reducing the risk of configuration drift. As an added benefit, teams can set meaningful alerts for when changes do occur, reducing alert fatigue and enabling near real-time decision-making and response. 
Contact us today to learn more about Asimily Configuration Control.