name: Prohibited Traffic Allowed or Protocol Mismatch
id: 6d13121c-90f3-446d-8ac3-27efbbc65218
version: 1
date: '2017-09-11'
author: Rico Valdez, Splunk
type: batch
description: Detect instances of prohibited network traffic allowed in the environment,
  as well as protocols running on non-standard ports. Both of these types of behaviors
  typically violate policy and can be leveraged by attackers.
narrative: A traditional security best practice is to control the ports, protocols,
  and services allowed within your environment. By limiting the services and protocols
  to those explicitly approved by policy, administrators can minimize the attack surface.
  The combined effect allows both network defenders and security controls to focus
  and not be mired in superfluous traffic or data types. Looking for deviations to
  policy can identify attacker activity that abuses services and protocols to run
  on alternate or non-standard ports in the attempt to avoid detection or frustrate
  forensic analysts.
references:
- http://www.novetta.com/2015/02/advanced-methods-to-detect-advanced-cyber-attacks-protocol-abuse/
tags:
  analytic_story: Prohibited Traffic Allowed or Protocol Mismatch
  category:
  - Best Practices
  product:
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  usecase: Security Monitoring
