Overview#
Mechanisms attackers use to issue instructions to compromised hosts. Detections focus on unusual outbound traffic, DNS tunneling, or beaconing patterns.
Core objectives#
- Establish shared definitions of Command and Control for security, engineering, and leadership teams.
- Connect Command and Control activities to measurable risk reduction and resilience goals.
- Provide onboarding notes so new team members can quickly understand how Command and Control works here.
Implementation notes#
- Identify the primary owner for Command and Control, the data sources involved, and the systems affected.
- Document the minimum viable process, tooling, and runbooks that keep Command and Control healthy.
- Map Command and Control practices to standards such as ISO/IEC 27001, NIST CSF, or CIS Controls.
Operational signals#
- Leading indicators: early warnings that Command and Control might degrade (e.g., backlog growth, noisy alerts, or missed SLAs).
- Lagging indicators: realized impact that shows Command and Control failed or needs investment (e.g., incidents, audit findings).
- Feedback loops: retrospectives and metrics reviews that tune Command and Control continuously.
Related practices#
- Align Command and Control with defense-in-depth planning, threat modeling, and disaster recovery tests.
- Communicate updates to stakeholders through concise briefs, dashboards, and internal FAQs.
- Pair Command and Control improvements with tabletop exercises to validate expectations.