Scott J Roberts
Head of Threat Research
2023-10-25
Leveraging Limited Resources to Build an
Evolving Threat Repository
Driving Intelligence with
MITRE ATT&CK
Scott J Roberts
Head of Threat
Research at Interpres
What Interpres Does
Defense
Readiness
01
Defense
Surface
Optimization
02
Prioritize
Vulnerabilities
03
Stack &
Product
Rationalization
04
The Goal
MITRE ATT&CK for Internal Customers
Interpres is Intel driven from the core.
Built originally on public threat intelligence data
straight from mitre/cti.
Needed custom threat data to keep up.
Metrics for Threat Research at Interpres
Depth Breadth Speed Accuracy
Goals
• Code First: git push or bust
• Depth: Collection Requirements
• Breadth: Collection Requirements
• Speed: Automation
• Accuracy: Automation & Manual
Review
• Compatibility: Output to STIX2
The Problem (Well… 3!!!)
STIX2 != ATT&CK &&
ATT&CK != STIX2
We want MITRE
Intelligence & Interpres
Intelligence… with as little
duplication as possible!
Tooling is Limited
The Solution
STIX2 != ATT&CK && ATT&CK != STIX2
ATT&CK Tactics Techniques Groups Software Campaigns
STIX2 Attack-
Pattern
Attack-
Pattern
Intrusion-Set Malware
(Usually…)
Campaigns
ATT&CK to STIX2
STIX2 != ATT&CK && ATT&CK != STIX2
We want MITRE Intelligence & Interpres Intelligence…
with as little duplication as possible!
We want MITRE Intelligence & Interpres Intelligence…
with as little duplication as possible!
• Wherever possible we use MITRE ATT&CK Content
- Exclusively using MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
- Leverage MITRE ATT&CK Groups, Malware, Campaigns, & Relationships
• Build custom Groups, Malware, Campaigns & Relationships
- Based on internal research, RFIs, etc
- More on that a bit later
• Relationships are intelligently divided between MITRE/CTI & Intrepres/CTI
• DANGER (But Available): All lookups prioritize Interpres/CTI
An Aside for a Good Name™
Tooling is Limited
• All content is code (STIX2) and created with code
- Automated: Custom Automapper (Let computer do what computers are good at)
- By Hand Creation & Curation: Jupyter Notebooks + STIX2 Library
• Actively working on STIX2 Helper Library
- Merging, Bulk Actions, etc
- Testing Mapping Scenarios
• Git is workflow management
• Yes, we looked at Decider, TRAM, & ATT&CK Workbench
Advantages of Intelligence As Code: CI Error
Advantages of Intelligence As Code: CI Error
Advantages of Intelligence As Code: Solutions as Code
Advantages of Intelligence As Code: CI
Advantages of Intelligence As Code: CI
The Future
There are
limitations of STIX2
Library & Jupyter
Notebooks
Synapse is code for
Intelligence &
Easier to Extend
Continue
leveraging STIX2
for Compatibility &
Tooling
Salvador Dali
“Have no fear of perfection –
you’ll never reach it.”
Thank you!
InterpresSecurity.com

Driving Intelligence with MITRE ATT&CK: Leveraging Limited Resources to Build an Evolving Threat Repository