As cyber threats continue to escalate at unprecedented rates, a troubling warning has emerged for businesses and government entities: traditional networks may be exposing organizations to dangers greater than they realize. Lawrence Pingree, Vice President at Dispersive and former security lead at Gartner, has published an insightful article titled “Your Network Is Showing — Time to Go Stealth,” which examines the evolution of cyberattacks beyond conventional perimeter defenses.
Pingree emphasizes that malicious actors have shifted their tactics, moving from simply trying to bypass defenses to executing coordinated campaigns that target the defenses themselves. Firewalls, VPNs, and control planes, once considered the backbone of cybersecurity, are increasingly becoming the first points of failure in many organizations’ security strategies.
Highlighting the vulnerabilities of openly advertised networks, Pingree notes that even encrypted data can be exposed through metadata, such as IP addresses and DNS queries. This visibility turns networks into potential targets for reconnaissance and exploitation, raising serious concerns about organizational security.
Recent incidents demonstrate the urgency of the issue. In April 2024, Palo Alto Networks’ PAN-OS faced a critical zero-day vulnerability that allowed attackers to install a Python-based backdoor, named UPSTYLE, effectively bypassing firewall defenses. Additionally, the Volt Typhoon campaign, attributed to a state-sponsored group, targeted crucial infrastructure by compromising Fortinet’s FortiGuard devices and Cisco routers, showcasing the strategic nature of these cyber assaults.
In response to these challenges, Pingree advocates for a shift in defensive strategies toward emerging stealth networking technologies. By obfuscating network presence, these solutions can significantly reduce an organization’s attack surface, aligning with zero trust principles that ensure only verified users can access sensitive resources.
Dispersive is urging organizations to rethink their security measures, transitioning from traditional methods to more resilient, stealth-based networking models. As Pingree stresses, reevaluating network visibility is becoming a cybersecurity imperative.