How VMRay Enhances Incident Response: A Comprehensive 4-Step Guide

Published on 28 May 2024

VMRay provides comprehensive support for incident response through four well-defined steps: Operate Immediately, Assess Quickly, Investigate Thoroughly, and Document Completely. This guide will walk you through each step, demonstrating how VMRay enhances your incident response capabilities.

Step 1: Operate Immediately

Expedited Responses with Pre-configured Environments

When an alert is triggered, immediate action is crucial. VMRay’s multi-stage analysis and extensive target environment coverage enable rapid response. VMRay Cloud allows you to operate within minutes, while the On-Premises solution is operational within days, offering complete control over your site. The hypervisor sandbox automates analyses and detonations, ensuring swift containment and assessment.

Seamless Integration with Existing Security Infrastructure

VMRay integrates seamlessly with your existing security tools such as incident response systems and SOAR platforms. This integration enriches your SIEM, EDR/XDR, SOAR, and TIP systems, providing comprehensive threat intelligence for faster, more reliable responses.

Flexible Input Options

VMRay offers four input methods for samples:

Console GUI for ad-hoc submissions.
IR Mailbox for automated email submissions from end-users.
Connectors for integration with industry-leading software like Carbon Black, SentinelOne, and Splunk.
REST API for programmatic access to all Console functionalities.

Step 2: Assess Quickly

Accurate and Actionable Verdicts

VMRay provides summary Verdicts and VMRay Threat Identifiers (VTIs) that help eliminate false positives and validate true positives. The Sample Overview Report consolidates all key information, including the overall Sample Verdict and VTIs, allowing quick understanding and prompt action.

Effective Triage Processes

To minimize response times, VMRay incorporates pre-filtering during Reputation and Static Analysis, enabling immediate triage. If a file is deemed malicious, the analysis stops before Dynamic Analysis begins, allowing for immediate response. VTIs offer detailed insights rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with the option to delve deeper into individual scores.

Automated and Live Web Analysis

VMRay’s Automated Web Analysis simulates user interaction to identify phishing attempts, which can be augmented with Live Interaction for manual analysis. The integration with the MITRE ATT&CK matrix makes it easy to correlate VTIs with relevant tactics and techniques, enhancing the thoroughness of your assessments.

Step 3: Investigate Thoroughly

Detailed Analysis Reports and Sandbox Detonations

VMRay provides detailed reports from Reputation, Static, Dynamic, and Web Analyses. Dynamic and Web Analysis detonations within the sandbox reveal comprehensive malware behaviors, including advanced, targeted threats. These reports include screenshots and process diagrams, transforming unknown threats into known quantities.

Deep Dives with Smart Memory Dumps

Smart memory dumps capture snapshots of malware behavior, offering detailed records of function calls and memory addresses. This detailed level of analysis is essential for understanding complex threats and ensuring they are thoroughly investigated.

Export Options for Further Analysis

VMRay enables the export of analysis data in CSV or STIX JSON formats, facilitating further investigation and integration with other tools. Built-in antivirus (AV) and YARA rulesets provide additional layers of detection, with customizable options for On-Premises customers.

Step 4: Document Completely

Golden Images for Realistic Detonations

Golden images mimic real-world environments, enabling realistic malware detonations within virtual machines. This replication is crucial for analyzing targeted malware in environments that closely resemble your actual systems.

Comprehensive Documentation and Reporting

VMRay supports detailed documentation through customizable and brandable PDF reports, suitable for management review. The Analysis Archive bundles all relevant artefacts, including dropped files, network traffic reports, and memory dumps, into a single ZIP file for easy archiving and retrieval.

Automation and Customization Flexibility

VMRay offers extensive tools for automation and customization, including Outlook Plugins for end-user submissions, VirusTotal integration, and connectors for industry-leading security software. Custom VTIs and an IDA Pro Plugin enhance the depth and efficiency of your analyses.

In summary, VMRay’s robust incident response framework, with its detailed analysis, seamless integration, and comprehensive documentation, empowers organizations to effectively manage and mitigate cyber threats, ensuring swift and thorough incident responses. To Learn More download the Whitepaper Now!!