Battling PowerShell attacks with cybersecurity automation

In today’s digital age, there are multiple ways that we use computer systems to carry out our everyday tasks. From accessing the internet to sending emails, we constantly exhibit new patterns in navigating the digital world through automation. While this is normal behavior, it also leaves trails for cybercriminals to use against your organization.  

According to Microsoft, PowerShell is “a cross-platform task automation solution made up of a command-line shell, a scripting language, and a configuration management framework. PowerShell runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS.” It provides an interface for system administrators and users to carry out various tasks like running files, taking screenshots on the computer, accessing the internet, and more. 

This blog will explore how cybercriminals can use PowerShell, why they are so hard to detect, and how you can ensure your organization remains vigilant against attackers.

PowerShell attacks in action

To put it simply, PowerShell is a language installed on all Windows computers, so by default, it is an easy entry point for cybercriminals to abuse because they do not have to bring their own tools. PowerShell is also used by system administrators to complete their tasks and is required to make Windows run, so it cannot be removed from Windows as it is a core functionality.

 

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