How Hack UK’s Cyber Defense Budget Could Be Better Spent (Relevant Based on Post)

By /

Listen to this Post

Featured Image
The UK government’s recent £5 billion investment in defense innovation raises concerns about misplaced priorities, especially when critical infrastructure remains vulnerable to Chinese and Russian command-and-control (C2) intrusions. Instead of pouring funds into ambiguous “defense innovation,” the focus should shift to hardening national cyber defenses.

You Should Know:

1. Detecting C2 Implants in Critical Infrastructure

Advanced attackers often embed C2 channels in DNS traffic or legitimate cloud services. Use these tools to detect anomalies:

  • Linux Command: `tcpdump -i eth0 -nn ‘dst port 53’ | grep -E “(xn--|bit\\.ly|tinyurl)”`
  • Monitors DNS for encoded or suspicious domains.
  • Windows Command: `Get-NetTCPConnection -State Established | Where-Object {$_.RemotePort -eq 443} | Select-Object RemoteAddress`
  • Lists active HTTPS connections (common C2 exfiltration path).

2. Hunting Rooted Backdoors

  • YARA Rule for Memory Scans:
    rule apt_c2_beacon {
strings:
$c2_url = /https?:\/\/([a-z0-9]+.)?(pastebin|github|azure).(com|net)/ nocase
condition:
$c2_url
}
  • Volatility (Linux Memory Forensics):
    volatility -f memory.dump --profile=Win10x64_19041 netscan | grep ESTABLISHED

3. Securing DNS Infrastructure

  • Blocking Malicious TLDs:
    In /etc/bind/named.conf.options:
options {
response-policy { zone "blocklist"; };
};
zone "blocklist" {
type master;
file "/etc/bind/db.blocklist";
};

    Add known malicious domains (e.g., .ru, `.cn` C2 servers) to db.blocklist.

4. Network Traffic Baselining

  • Zeek (Bro) IDS Command:
    zeek -C -r traffic.pcap local "Site::local_nets += { 192.168.1.0/24 }"

Generates `conn.log` for anomaly detection.

What Undercode Say:

The UK’s £5 billion could fund:

  • AI-driven threat hunting (e.g., Darktrace, but open-source alternatives like Apache Spot).
  • National red-team exercises using Caldera or Cobalt Strike.
  • Mandatory ICS/OT penetration testing with tools like Metasploit’s modbusscan.

Prediction:

Without redirecting funds to actionable cyber defense, the UK will face a catastrophic infrastructure breach by 2026, likely via compromised DNS or supply-chain attacks.

Expected Output:

  • Detected C2 channels in logs.
  • Memory dumps revealing APT implants.
  • Hardened DNS configurations blocking 90% of covert C2.

Relevant URL: UK Defence Innovation Funding (if cyber-related details emerge).

IT/Security Reporter URL:

Reported By: Andy Jenkinson – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

Join Our Cyber World:

💬 Whatsapp | 💬 Telegram

Related Posts: