Advanced Persistent Threats

Attackers are getting smarter, are you?

Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) are coordinated, stealthy, and prolonged cyberattacks—usually carried out by well-funded threat actors, such as nation-states or organized cybercriminal groups. Unlike smash-and-grab ransomware attacks, APTs are all about long-term access and silent infiltration. Their goal? To quietly steal data, disrupt systems, or surveil operations over weeks, months, or even years.

  • They often exploit zero-day vulnerabilities and trusted access to avoid detection.

  • APTs may use legitimate tools already inside your network, making them harder to trace and stop.

Every Industry Is a Target—For Its Own Reasons

You don’t have to be in defense, critical infrastructure, or finance to face advanced threats. Every business holds value:

  • Law firms manage sensitive client matters

  • Healthcare providers safeguard protected health information

  • Manufacturers may hold valuable IP or production data

  • Real estate, retail, and SaaS companies handle payments, contracts, and customer records

If it matters to you—it matters to an attacker. Tier 5 helps protect organizations across industries, not just the “obvious” ones.

Tier 5 brings deep military and Department of Defense experience to the fight against Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs). Our team applies proven defense-grade tactics to help small and mid-sized organizations detect, disrupt, and recover from sophisticated intrusions.

  • Threat Modeling with a Tactical Mindset

    We assess your business the way adversaries do—mapping attack vectors, access paths, and high-value targets with military-grade precision.

  • Defense-in-Depth Implementation

    We design layered security architectures that mirror DoD best practices, ensuring attackers must overcome multiple hardened barriers.

  • Threat Hunting & Behavior Analysis

    Our team proactively hunts for stealthy APT behavior—like lateral movement and credential abuse—using battlefield-tested techniques.

  • Realistic Tabletop Exercises

    We simulate persistent adversaries using APT-style scenarios (if chosen), training your team to respond like a coordinated defense unit under fire.

  • vCISO & Fractional Security Leadership

    Gain access to former defense cybersecurity leadership—without the full-time cost—guiding your organization through strategy, compliance, and incident response.

APTs are using the same tactics as government offensive cyber operations teams once pioneered—stealth, persistence, and precision.

At Tier 5, we apply that same level of expertise to defend your infrastructure, using the strategies we once used to break into hostile networks to now protect yours.

Defending Every Phase of the Cyber Kill Chain

The Cyber Kill Chain outlines how attackers operate—and more importantly, how defenders can stop them at each step.

1. Reconnaissance
Limit exposed data (e.g., employee info, DNS records) with tools like DMARC and OSINT audits. Monitoring network behavior early can flag attackers before they strike.

2. Weaponization
Patch systems, scan regularly (Nessus), and sandbox suspicious files to block malware creation before it’s deployed.

3. Delivery
Catch payloads with email security (Abnormal), web gateways (Netskope), and user training. NIDS tools detect suspicious network traffic.

4. Exploitation
Use EDR platforms (CrowdStrike, Defender), enforce least privilege, and deploy WAFs to block exploit attempts.

5. Installation
Stop persistence by detecting unauthorized changes (Tripwire), locking down permissions, and scanning with antivirus or EDR.

6. Command & Control (C2)
Disrupt outbound traffic with DNS filtering (Netskope), behavior analytics (Abnormal), and zero-trust segmentation.

7. Actions on Objectives
Prevent data theft with DLP (Netskope), detect anomalies with SIEMs, and recover fast with offline backups and IR plans.