In the latter part of 2020, SolarWinds, a major player in IT management software, was hit by an incredibly sophisticated cyber attack. This breach didn’t just endanger both public and private sectors globally, but it also went down in history as one of the most complex cyber espionage operations ever seen.

Around that time, CERTIHASH was developing Sentinel Node, a cutting-edge solution designed to revolutionise breach detection and system auditability.

This analysis delves into the details of the SolarWinds breach and explores how the introduction of Sentinel Node might have significantly changed the situation. It could have fortified systems against such advanced threats, potentially altering the outcome of the attack.

The SolarWinds breach: A comprehensive overview

SolarWinds’ cybersecurity breach stood out as a significant cyber attack, thought to be led by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, hinting at potential geopolitical impacts.

The breach started quietly in 2019 with test codes being inserted into SolarWinds products, evolving by 2020 into a modified code that allowed hidden remote access. While roughly 18,000 customers were affected, the main targets were important organisations, particularly in federal sectors.

The breach became known in November 2020 when FireEye identified it, triggering quick reactions from major companies like Microsoft and government agencies.

Details of the SolarWinds attack

The hackers used the SolarWinds Orion software updates to spread the ‘SUNBURST’ malware, getting into the systems of SolarWinds’ wide range of customers, which included important government agencies and big companies.

Inside discussions showed differences between what was said publicly and what they knew internally. They apparently gave basic reports to the SEC even though they were aware of specific problems.

Extent and Impact of the SolarWinds attack

More than 18,000 customers of SolarWinds were directly affected. There’s a risk that sensitive information from areas like national security, defence, and government departments could have been exposed.

When the SUNBURST attack became public in December 2020, SolarWinds saw a big 35% drop in its stock price.

Inconsistencies in SolarWinds’ Security Measures

What SolarWinds said about their cybersecurity didn’t match up with what they knew internally. For instance, an inside report from 2018 pointed out weaknesses in how SolarWinds managed remote access.

In 2018 and 2019, presentations by someone named Brown showed there were big security problems within the company. And from 2019 to 2020, there were lots of messages inside the company that raised concerns about their capability to protect their critical assets.

The Sentinel Node Shield: Advancing Breach Detection and Blockchain

In today’s fast-changing digital world, the way we keep things safe online is changing a lot. CERTIHASH is a new project that’s all about changing how we protect businesses from cyber threats. They aim to create five brand-new products that make IT systems stronger by using really cool technologies like blockchain. These solutions are made to work for all kinds of companies, big or small.

The best product in this new lineup is called Sentinel Node. It’s like the next level of protection for IT. Created in partnership with IBM, Sentinel Node is not limited by the usual ways cybersecurity works. Regular systems might take a long time to notice when something’s wrong, but Sentinel Node is excellent at it. It acts like a constant guard for IT setups, always checking if everything is as it should be. It uses a strict method to always check if files are in the right state. By using a strong technology called SHA-256, Sentinel Node keeps a close eye on network logs or system files every ten seconds. If anything seems even slightly wrong, it sends an alert right away so action can be taken quickly. This way, it stops secret cyber threats and makes it faster to deal with any damage caused by online attacks.

But there’s more to the brilliance of Sentinel Node. By using a powerful blockchain called the BSV blockchain, it creates a record that can’t be changed. Every action and change made is recorded in order, making it very clear and permanent. Once something’s written in this blockchain, it stays there forever and can’t be changed.

Download eBook: The BSV blockchain as an enterprise cybersecurity framework

Also, to make the system more responsible, any changes made need to be approved using a unique private key. This strict process ensures that every change can be traced back to a specific person or entity. This makes the system more accountable and strengthens its defence.

In short, CERTIHASH’s Sentinel Node isn’t just a cool piece of technology. It represents the highest point in the evolution of cybersecurity, combining sophistication, responsibility, and unwavering reliability.

Revolutionising the Detection of Cyber Breaches

By using its exceptional alert system, Sentinel Node could have skillfully uncovered the hidden connections between the malware and external control centres.

With an incredibly fast detection rate, 4032 times quicker than regular benchmarks, the malware’s secret operations would have been quickly revealed, making it necessary for an immediate and certain action to be taken.

Blockchain-Secured Accountability

At the core of Sentinel Node is its strong blockchain system, all set to systematically record every software change, access, and update in an unbroken timeline.

This reliable record-keeping ability would have given SolarWinds the accuracy to find out exactly when the breach started and follow the complex path of the malware.

Enhanced Security Framework

By smartly combining hashes into a blockchain setup, Sentinel Node becomes a symbol of very strong security measures.

If there were any unauthorised changes, similar to what happened with the SUNBURST malware’s interference with the code, immediate alarms would have been set off, leading to quick actions to fix the problem.

Strategic Evolution in Cybersecurity

Normal cybersecurity focuses on stopping problems, but the increasing complexity of attacks, as seen in the SolarWinds case, shows how important it is to spot problems fast and respond quickly.

As a leader in this changing era, Sentinel Node stresses the need for fast identification of threats, ready to significantly reduce the time attackers have to exploit weaknesses in systems.

A Symbol of Hope in the World of Cybercrime

The SolarWinds problem shows how cyber spying is getting more and more advanced, even affecting really strong computer systems. But the arrival of CERTIHASH’s Sentinel Node brings hope in this tough situation.

By combining the powerful abilities of blockchain with high-tech security methods, Sentinel Node doesn’t just protect but also predicts threats before they happen. If SolarWinds had this top-notch defence, things could have been much better, saving many organisations and their important data.

As the world of cyber conflict changes, using advanced solutions like Sentinel Node isn’t just a good idea anymore – it’s become really necessary to make sure our digital future stays safe.