---
title: "A Cyber Attack Short Story: All About Where I am Going"
description: My name is Cyber Attack and this story is not about where I came from. This story is about where I'm going.
---

[SSH Blog | Defensive Cybersecurity ](https://www.ssh.com/blog)

# [A Cyber Attack Short Story: All About Where I am Going](https://www.ssh.com/blog/a-cyberattack-short-story)

 Written by [Staff Writer](https://www.ssh.com/blog/author/staff-writer) | Jul 13, 2017 6:20:52 PM

No one really knows who my parents are or where I came from. Some say my father was a Nigerian con-artist, but in my mind he is prince who happens to enjoy [spear phishing](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinmurnane/2016/10/21/how-john-podestas-emails-were-hacked-and-how-to-prevent-it-from-happening-to-you/#46903fa92476). Others say my parents were [SSHPsychos](http://www.securityweek.com/cisco-level-3-disrupt-ssh-brute-force-attacks-used-deliver-ddos-bot) from China.

The version about where I came from that I like the least is the rumor about an office romance, which really was the result of some accidental download. Bob from accounting was convinced he was downloading a spreadsheet attachment from HR.

This story might make you [WannaCry](http://www.techrepublic.com/article/wannacry-the-smart-persons-guide/), but rest assured it's [only the beginning](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/22/technology/ransomware-attack-nsa-cyberweapons.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Ftechnology&action=click&contentCollection=technology&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgt). 

My name is Cyber Attack and this story is not about where I came from. This story is about [where I'm going](https://www.ssh.com/iam/how-to-kill-a-fortune-500). 

[Dear Mr and Mrs Fortune 500](http://fortune.com/fortune500/),

When you accidentally brought me into your business, your home, and whether you realize it or not, I am now your responsibility. It's simply not enough to protect the perimeter of your business environment. You must secure your internal network. This is because, once inside your business, I deftly use common [privileged elevation](http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/privilege-escalation-linux-live-examples/#gref) techniques, and use any and all of the [unprotected credentials](http://www.computerworld.com/article/2488012/malware-vulnerabilities/poorly-managed-ssh-keys-pose-serious-risks-for-most-companies.html) you have laying around, to gain access to critical infrastructure.

As I gather more credentials from your machines, I am able to [land and expand](https://www.identityweek.com/land-and-expand-cyber-attacks/) across your networks until I have access to everything. This includes [source code hosting repositories, websites, domain name services, and dedicated servers](http://www.cioreview.com/news/manage-publicprivate-keys-for-a-secure-cloud-authentication-nid-24570-cid-17.html). 

I can now exfiltrate all of your source code, customer records, intellectual property, designs, bank records, and anything of value that makes you a business. I can bypass your Digital Loss Prevention (DLP) systems and firewalls by using the same encryption credentials I stole to impersonate anyone and encrypt all data as I move it out of your business. 

Now that I think about, I could [kill a Fortune 500](https://www.ssh.com/blog/a-cyberattack-short-story), but don’t blame me. Your negligence and procrastination have enabled me. I simply did what I was born to, what my parents taught me.

As I said before, it doesn’t matter where I came from or how I got in. Once inside your business, I can move from system to system and take whatever I want, turning what was once a single machine issue into an enterprise-wide crisis. 

  

This short story can have a different ending. It's not all doom and gloom. You can take measures to protect yourself. Take the next step and learn more about [monitoring encrypted traffic](https://www.ssh.com/products/privileged-access-management-privx) and controlling [privileged access to the cloud without vaults and credentials](https://www.ssh.com/products/privileged-access-management-privx). 

[View full post](https://www.ssh.com/blog/a-cyberattack-short-story)

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