TA0011 · COMMAND AND CONTROL
Non-Standard Encoding
Adversaries may encode data with a non-standard data encoding system to make the content of command and control traffic more difficult to detect.
Detect it with
Analyze network data for uncommon data flows (e.g., a client sending significantly more data than it receives from a server). Processes utilizing the network that do not normally have network communication or have never been seen before are suspicious.
Why it matters on shift
Non-Standard Encoding is one of the concrete ways adversaries achieve command and control. Recognising it in telemetry lets you name the technique in your ticket and pivot to what came before and after.
What to look for next
After command and control, the next tactic is usually Exfiltration. Search your telemetry for the transition before closing the ticket.
Kill-chain context