Identifying and Mitigating Living Off the Land Techniques

This guide, authored by multiple U.S. and international cybersecurity agencies, provides detailed information on living off the land (LOTL) techniques and the associated gaps in cyber defense capabilities. It aims to assist network defenders in identifying and mitigating these techniques, which cyber threat actors exploit to maintain persistent access to critical infrastructure. The document outlines the challenges organizations face in detecting LOTL activity due to the use of native tools and processes that blend in with normal system behavior. The guide emphasizes the importance of implementing best practices for detection and hardening to combat LOTL techniques effectively. It includes recommendations for detailed logging, establishing behavioral baselines, and utilizing user and entity behavior analytics. Additionally, the guide advises software manufacturers on secure design principles to minimize vulnerabilities that facilitate LOTL exploitation. The recommendations aim to enhance overall cybersecurity posture and improve the ability to detect and respond to malicious activity leveraging LOTL techniques.