Introduction: The Evolution of Lateral Movement in Modern Cyberattacks

Lateral movement has emerged as a critical concern for security leaders, particularly in manufacturing, industrial control systems (ICS), and healthcare organizations. Over 70% of successful breaches involved the use of lateral movement techniques. As documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, adversaries increasingly employ sophisticated lateral movement tactics to expand their reach within compromised networks, often maintaining persistence for months before detection.

Key Takeaway: The average time for detecting lateral movement in enterprise networks is 95 days, highlighting the critical need for proactive detection and prevention strategies. Organizations that actively hunt for threats, including lateral movement, can reduce attack dwell time by up to 70%.

Understanding Lateral Movement in Context

Lateral movement refers to the techniques threat actors use to progressively move through a network after gaining initial access. Unlike traditional perimeter-focused attacks, lateral movement is when adversaries  systematically explore and exploit users, workloads and devices via network resources while evading detection. This is particularly concerning for organizations with complex operational technology (OT) environments or those handling sensitive data.

Primary Lateral Movement Tactics in Enterprise Environments

Remote Services Exploitation

The exploitation of remote services remains one of the most prevalent lateral movement techniques. Organizations have seen a significant increase in attacks targeting Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Server Message Block (SMB), and Windows Remote Management (WinRM) services. This is particularly critical in manufacturing and healthcare environments, where remote access requirements have expanded dramatically.

Practical Tip: Implement granular access controls and continuous monitoring for remote service usage, especially in OT and medical device networks.

Credential-Based Movement Techniques

Modern attackers frequently leverage credential-based techniques such as Pass-the-Hash and Pass-the-Ticket attacks. These methods are particularly effective because they exploit legitimate authentication mechanisms, making detection challenging through traditional means.

Industry-Specific Impact and Considerations

Manufacturing and Industrial Control Systems

In manufacturing and ICS environments, lateral movement presents unique challenges due to the integration of IT and OT networks. Attackers targeting these environments often exploit the interconnections between traditional IT systems and industrial controllers, potentially leading to physical process disruption.

Key Takeaway: Industrial organizations must implement microsegmentation strategies that account for both IT and OT network components while maintaining operational efficiency.

Healthcare Environment Challenges

Healthcare organizations face particular challenges in preventing lateral movement due to the diverse array of IoMT-connected medical devices and strict regulatory requirements. The need to maintain continuous patient care while securing sensitive data requires a balanced approach to security controls across networks.

Advanced Detection Strategies

Behavioral Analytics and Monitoring

Modern detection approaches focus on understanding normal network behavior patterns and identifying anomalies. This includes monitoring authentication patterns, process creation, and network traffic flows.

Practical Tip: Deploy behavioral analytics and/or modern microsegmentation solutions that can baseline normal operations across both IT and OT networks to quickly identify potential lateral movement.

Identity-Based Detection

Identity-based monitoring has emerged as a crucial component in detecting lateral movement. By tracking user and device identities across the network, organizations can more effectively identify unauthorized access attempts and suspicious behavior patterns.

Identity-based microsegmentation is an advanced approach to network security that goes beyond traditional network segmentation methods; instead of relying on rigid network boundaries such as IP access lists and firewall rules, identity-based microsegmentation segments a network based on the identity and attributes of users, devices, and applications. This enables organizations to apply granular access controls to specific identities, providing a more flexible and adaptable security posture.

Prevention Through Modern Security Architecture

Network Segmentation Evolution

Traditional network segmentation has evolved into more sophisticated microsegmentation approaches. Identity-based microsegmentation, in particular, offers more granular control over network access and movement.

In the context of microsegmentation, identity-based microsegmentation is considered a best practice for improving network security. It offers a more dynamic way of segmenting the network, allowing organizations to adapt to the ever-changing threat landscape. To gain a deeper understanding of microsegmentation and its various applications, we recommend reading our comprehensive blog post, What is microsegmentation and how does it work?.

Key Takeaway: Modern microsegmentation should be identity-centric rather than solely network-based, enabling more precise access control and threat containment.

Zero Trust Implementation

Implementing zero trust principles helps prevent lateral movement by requiring continuous verification of all network connections, regardless of their origin point or destination.

Implementing Effective Controls

Strategic Access Management

Organizations must implement comprehensive access management strategies that combine:

- Identity and access management (IAM)

- Privileged access management (PAM)

- Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Continuous Monitoring and Response

Effective lateral movement prevention requires continuous monitoring and rapid response capabilities.

Practical Tip: Establish automated response procedures for common lateral movement indicators, ensuring rapid containment of potential threats.

Modern Solutions and Technologies

Identity-Based Microsegmentation Platforms

Modern security solutions have evolved to address the sophisticated nature of lateral movement attacks. Identity-based microsegmentation platforms, such as those offered by leading security vendors including Elisity, provide dynamic, context-aware security controls that can effectively prevent unauthorized lateral movement while maintaining operational efficiency.

Integration with Existing Security Infrastructure

Modern prevention solutions must integrate seamlessly with existing security infrastructure, including:

- Security information and event management (SIEM) systems
- Endpoint detection and response (EDR) platforms
- Network security monitoring tools

Best Practices for Implementation

Phased Approach to Deployment

Organizations should adopt a phased approach to implementing lateral movement prevention:

1. Assessment and Planning
2. Initial Implementation in Critical Areas
3. Gradual Expansion
4. Continuous Optimization

Key Takeaway: Success in preventing lateral movement requires a balanced approach combining technology, processes, and people.

Next Steps: Building a Resilient Security Posture

Preventing lateral movement requires a comprehensive approach that combines modern security technologies with effective processes and trained personnel. Organizations must focus on implementing identity-based security controls while maintaining operational efficiency and regulatory compliance.

For manufacturing, industrial, and healthcare organizations, the stakes are particularly high, given the potential impact on critical operations and patient care. By adopting modern approaches to microsegmentation and continuous monitoring, organizations can significantly reduce their exposure to lateral movement attacks while maintaining operational efficiency.

Practical Tip: Begin with a thorough assessment of your current security posture and gradually implement identity-based controls, starting with your most critical assets and expanding based on demonstrated success.

The future of lateral movement prevention lies in intelligent, identity-aware security solutions that can adapt to evolving threats while supporting complex operational requirements. Organizations that embrace these modern approaches will be better positioned to protect their critical assets and maintain resilient operations in the face of evolving cyber threats.

Reach out to our team for a custom consultation to learn how to align microsegmentation with your lateral movement prevention strategies.