Welcome, **ÇOLHAK Technology**'s **Senior SOC Analyst**! You have a critical role in your SOC team. You've noticed a **zero-day vulnerability being actively exploited** in your company's web application, which has not yet been patched. Attackers are trying to infiltrate systems to access sensitive data. Your mission: Stop this attack, contain the damage, request urgent mitigation from the vendor, and initiate a race against time with isolation decisions!
Simulation Roles
Your Role: Senior SOC Analyst
You are the leader of the team that detected the active attack and initiated the first response. You play an active role in technical analysis, threat hunting, and mitigation steps. Your choices will directly impact the outcome.
CISO Anıl Yılmaz Responsible for security, expects quick action.
CTO Sadi Orçun Responsible for technical infrastructure and applications, vendor communication goes through him.
CEO Sultan Göze Reputation and business continuity are priorities.
Vendor Representative (Application Developer) Obligated to patch the zero-day vulnerability, may be slow.
Key Metrics
Application Security Status How vulnerable the application is to vulnerabilities. (Initial: Critical)
Attacker Access The attacker's penetration into the system. (Initial: Limited)
Potential Financial Loss The cost of the attack. (Initial: ₺0)
Crisis Duration Time to bring the crisis under control. (Initial: 0 Hours)
User Trust Users' faith in the application. (Initial: 100)
Decision Impacts
Strategic Evaluation
App Security
Critical
Attacker Access
Limited
Financial Loss
₺0
Crisis Duration
0 Hours
User Trust
100
Phase 1: Initial Detection and Shock
Hour 0:00 - Zero-Day Exploit Alarm!
During the night shift, you detected unusual activity in the WAF (Web Application Firewall) logs of your critical web application. You see that some requests, normally blocked, have bypassed the WAF this time, and the application is responding unexpectedly. Initial analyses indicate that an unknown vulnerability is being actively exploited: A **zero-day attack**! Attackers are trying to gain access to the application's user database.
You receive an urgent call from CISO Anıl Yılmaz: *"What does this mean? How can an unknown vulnerability be exploited? We must stop it immediately! What are we doing?!"*
As a Senior SOC Analyst, what will be your first emergency response?
Learning Note: The initial response to zero-day attacks is critical. Rapid isolation limits damage; detailed observation provides intelligence but carries risk.
Phase 2A: Vendor Communication - Initial Response and Information
Hour 1:30 - First Response from Vendor
Immediately after detecting the zero-day vulnerability, you arranged an urgent meeting with the vendor firm, the application's developer. You conveyed the situation in full detail. The vendor team was surprised and confirmed that this vulnerability was not known to them. This proves it is indeed a **zero-day**. The vendor stated they would mobilize their entire team to develop a patch quickly, but estimated it would take **8-12 hours**.
With this information, how will you notify the crisis team managers?
Learning Note: Vendor response and patching process are vital in zero-day situations. Instead of doing nothing during this period, pressing for temporary solutions shows a proactive approach to crisis management.
Phase 2B: Temporary Solution Strategies
Hour 2:30 - Search for Urgent Temporary Mitigation
As time runs out for the expected full patch from the vendor, CISO Anıl Yılmaz and CTO Sadi Orçun hold an urgent meeting with you. They don't want the application to remain at risk. "It's vital for the application to stay active. What can we do until the vendor's patch arrives?" they ask. You have three possible temporary mitigation strategies:
1. WAF Rules: Adding special rules to the Web Application Firewall (WAF) based on attacker exploit patterns. This allows blocking attacks based on specific signatures but may leave you vulnerable to unknown variations.
2. Disable Feature: Temporarily disabling the specific application feature that contains the zero-day vulnerability. This definitively closes the vulnerability but renders a part of the application unusable.
3. Take Application Offline: Taking the application completely offline. This is the safest method but causes business disruption and negatively impacts customer satisfaction.
Considering current risks and business needs, which temporary mitigation strategy will you recommend?
Learning Note: Temporary mitigations are vital in zero-day crises to buy time. Each option has different impacts on security, functionality, and user experience.
Phase 3A: Data Breach Detection and Damage Assessment
Hour 3:00 - User Database Access Detected!
Despite temporary mitigation steps, as your system monitoring continues, you face a frightening reality: The attacker has gained access to the user database using the zero-day vulnerability! Sensitive customer information (email addresses, password hashes, and phone numbers) has started to leak. Initially, it's estimated that **10,000 users' data** may have been affected. CISO is now in a panic: *"This is a data breach! This means a GDPR and KVKK violation! How will we make an announcement? What will be the financial impact?"*
In the face of this critical data breach, what will you do to contain the damage and determine future steps?
Learning Note: In data breaches, rapid and accurate communication is important to maintain user trust. Technical steps and communication strategies should be carried out simultaneously.
Phase 3B: Insider Threat Suspicion and Root Cause Analysis
Hour 4:00 - Suspicious Activity on Internal Network!
During your in-depth log analysis and forensic investigation after the data breach, you discovered a surprising finding: Immediately after the attacker exploited the zero-day vulnerability, a suspicious connection was established from an internal company network, specifically a developer workstation (dev_workstation_01), to an external anonymous proxy server (anonymous proxy server). This connection might be related to a copy of the leaked data being sent. This situation suggests either internal collaboration or another malicious software infection on the workstation.
CTO Sadi Orçun is worried about this information getting out: *"Does this mean an insider threat? If this rumor spreads, team morale will completely collapse! What should we do?"*
What action will you take regarding this critical insider threat suspicion?
Learning Note: Insider threats are one of the most complex aspects of cyber security crises. Finding the balance requires a delicate trade-off between quick response and gathering accurate information.
Phase 4: Public Relations and the Zero-Day Race
Hour 5:00 - Press and Social Media Pressure!
News of the zero-day attack and potential data breach has begun to leak. Whispers are circulating on social media, and technology news sites have started publishing negative stories about ÇOLHAK Technology. CEO Sultan Göze calls you furiously: *"Our reputation is being ruined! Will the launch be canceled? We need to make a press statement immediately. How will we explain this zero-day incident?"*
No official patch has yet arrived from the vendor. The crisis team is in a heated debate about the content and timing of the public announcement.
What message will you convey to the public regarding this zero-day attack and data breach?
Learning Note: In serious crises like zero-day, the communication strategy directly impacts reputation and user trust. Honesty is the best policy in the long run.
Phase 5: Patch Deployment and Crisis Closure
Hour 7:00 - Zero-Day Patch Ready!
Finally! The vendor has completed and delivered the patch that closes the zero-day vulnerability. However, this patch requires a critical system update and will necessitate the application being offline for a short period (approximately 30 minutes). CTO Sadi Orçun wants to apply the patch immediately. However, shutting down the application will cause an outage for active users and affect final tests before the launch.
When and how will you deploy the zero-day patch?
Learning Note: Risk management in cybersecurity can sometimes directly conflict with business continuity. Understanding all stakeholders' expectations and risk tolerance is important to make the best decision.
Post-Crisis Evaluation Report
Simulation completed. Below is a detailed breakdown of your zero-day attack management performance.