AI Cyber Defense / Endpoint, lateral movement and ransomware defense
AI Cyber Defense: Detect SSH identity drift and unauthorized keys
Prefer centrally governed short-lived access where supported and restrict direct privileged login. Review keys against current owners and preserve a recovery path.
Environment and inputs: Managed Windows and Linux endpoints, EDR telemetry, remote administration, file services and protected recovery systems.
Scenario and goal
A new key may create durable access even after an original password or session is reset.
Why it matters
For this scenario, expect an attacker to vary scripts and executable packaging while reusing valid accounts and ordinary administration channels. The useful evidence is the relationship between the process, identity, destination and authorized task. A signed binary can perform an unauthorized action, and a new hash does not necessarily represent a new behavior. Protect credentials and administration boundaries alongside execution controls.
Evidence to collect
Collect authorized-key changes, SSH certificate principals, login logs and key-management records with target account ownership.
Validate with an authorized exercise
Add and remove a dedicated test key, verifying attribution and access behavior; confirm expiry or removal prevents a new session while existing-session handling is documented.
Rollout and checks
Establish approved maintenance examples before enabling enforcement and verify event collection from the affected host class. Preserve essential recovery connectivity and define the consequence of an isolation or policy failure. After remediation, verify both the original access boundary and any credentials or automation that could recreate the condition. Rebuilding a host alone does not validate those dependencies.
Scope and limits
This guide proposes a defensive test; it is not a tested production design. Check platform support and local requirements. References explain the mechanisms but do not certify the design. Behavior alone does not prove AI involvement.