Detecting APT Threats on Government Devices: Insights into Federal Cyber AI Strategies

Cybersecurity has long been a national security concern for world governments and the private corporations that develop solutions for them. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the subsequent rise of advanced persistent threats (APTs) were wake-up calls that the geopolitical landscape has shifted into uncharted territory. 

Bolstering your defenses against APTs is now more important than ever — and AI-powered tools are rapidly becoming the first line of defense against these growing threats. Here, we’ll explore critical federal cyber AI strategies that are changing how both federal and private organizations approach cybersecurity, along with challenges they will need to overcome to make their AI tools more effective.

What are APTs? Understanding the threat

According to NIST, there are a few key characteristics that separate advanced persistent threats from your everyday cyber attack:

• They rely on “sophisticated levels of expertise and significant resources.” This enables the APT to use “multiple attack vectors,” simultaneously infiltrating through physical access, social engineering, and network penetration. Adversarial state actors usually fund these attacks. They are enacted either by the state itself or a third-party agent hired by the state, making APTs generally more sophisticated than your average cyber attack.
• The goal of an APT is to “establish and extend its presence” within the victim’s network to steal sensitive data (such as state secrets or proprietary information) or hinder operations. Establishing a presence is key here — unlike typical cyber attacks, which tend to be smash-and-grab operations where speed is key, APTs want to fly under the radar and stick around as long as possible.
• Once an APT establishes a foothold, it then "pursues its objectives repeatedly over an extended period of time,” adapting to changing network security conditions to stay embedded.

To achieve their goals, APTs rely on various techniques, such as custom malware, social engineering techniques, and zero- or n-day exploits. They may even attempt to get a job within the organization and use their clearance to access secured networks in person. 

Mobile APT threats are also on the rise, as many employees use personal devices to access their work email or log into cloud-based systems. The comparative lack of security and threat awareness on these devices makes them a perfect entry point for many APTs.

One recent example of this was the 2024 discovery of BoneSpy and PlainGnome. These Android-based surveillance packages were designed to monitor SMS and phone call data generated by citizens in former Soviet Union countries and send interesting findings back to the Russia-aligned hacking group Gamaredon. 

How federal cyber AI strategies have evolved to stop APTs

Private and federal organizations within the United States and other national governments are adjusting their security stances to deal with the constantly growing and evolving threat of APTs. 

The federal government’s latest AI initiative came in the form of an executive order, creating a roadmap for changes to innovation and advisory structures, for both public and private sectors, as technology evolves in the near future. 

But what do these solutions actually look like? Sophisticated APT attacks require an equally sophisticated approach to defense — one that continuously monitors the entire attack surface for threats across all devices and can respond to them as they arise.

The most effective federal cyber AI strategies leverage machine learning, behavioral analytics, and anomaly detection to sniff out rogue applications or unauthorized hostnames that could be siphoning data away from your organization undetected. The right tools can help detect and respond to an emerging crisis in real time and at scale.

Tools for streamlining security operations

• AI threat detection relies on a massive dataset of known and possible APTs and regularly compares the state of your infrastructure against this set, looking for any similarities. If detected, your security system can flag or quarantine these active threats, enabling you to investigate and remediate them if needed. 
• Mobile threat intelligence systems help your organization take a similarly proactive approach by using machine learning to analyze potential threats across any mobile device that accesses your infrastructure.
• Threat hunting takes this concept further by actively seeking out APTs on your security perimeter. CISA recommends this strategy to strengthen cyber resilience. This technique is invaluable against APTs as many will lie dormant within your infrastructure for weeks — or even months — waiting for the opportune time to strike. Rather than wait for the APT to make the first move, threat-hunting tools proactively search for indicators of compromise, like suspiciously elevated privileges or uncommon hostnames, and send your security team a notification once found.
• Mobile endpoint detection and response (EDR) systems safeguard your infrastructure from intrusion threats across controlled and BYOD devices. As mandated by OMB 22-09, these tools offer crucial insight into which devices are accessing your network, which apps are sending or receiving data, and much more to help you lock down access and prevent lateral movement. Check out an interactive demonstration to see how mobile EDR works in action. 

Challenges to implementing federal cyber AI strategies

Implementing AI-powered tools is one powerful method of streamlining business operations with cybersecurity in mind. However, numerous challenges can stand in the way of maximizing any solution’s effectiveness against APTs. When you’re looking to upgrade your security stance, consider the following:

• Process and policy development: Everyone in your organization contributes to your overall security stance. If workers don’t pay attention to the apps they download or keep their credentials secure, they could unknowingly introduce malware into your system. This is not a problem that you can combat on a case-by-case basis — you need to create top-level security policies for employees to follow alongside automated processes to help enforce those processes. 
• Legacy infrastructure: Old and outdated systems often continue to house crucial information, making them a unique security risk. Depending on the solution you use, you may need to re-architect your legacy systems — or migrate your data into a new system — to make your security solution more efficient.
• Data security, privacy, and governance: AI-powered tools rely on large data sets to automate tasks, which can pose risks to client or employee data privacy. Ensure your data governance policies align with security best practices and federal compliance regulations to protect your information as well as your infrastructure.
• Training AI-ready staff: Effectively managing and responding to AI-powered tools requires unique skills. Budget time and resources for employee training to give everyone the information they need to get the most out of the new resources at their disposal.

Is your organization prepared?

As nation-states fund and deploy APTs to serve their own political goals, cyber threats will continue to evolve. If your organization cannot stay ahead of these numerous and exponentially growing threats, it can be easily overwhelmed into submission. With limited time and resources available, the only way to stay ahead of the curve and keep APTs at bay is by taking a proactive, AI-powered approach to cybersecurity. 

Need help on how to keep your organization secured against advanced persistent threats? View our webinar: Tracking APT41 with Mobile EDR, and discover how Lookout can help you track mobile app activity and keep your devices secure.