Despite the continuous evolution of defensive technologies, incident investigations and threat intelligence analysis continue to point to a consistent operational reality:
Most cyber incidents still originate from human interactions within normal business workflows.
This is not a conceptual observation.
It is consistently validated through real-world security operations and reinforced by threat intelligence correlations across multiple sectors.
The latest DANRESA Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) bulletin, based on SOC telemetry and OSINT sources, highlights a relevant pattern observed in early March 2026:
Attackers are no longer focusing solely on technical vulnerabilities.
They are targeting human decision points embedded within legitimate operational contexts.
Context Has Become Part of the Attack Surface
Threat intelligence analysis from the DANRESA CTI bulletin identified increased activity associated with campaigns exploiting:
• financial and tax-related communications
• credential phishing
• consent-based authorization abuse (OAuth)
• user trust manipulation
The threat level observed during this period was elevated, largely driven by seasonal factors that influence workforce behavior.
This reinforces a critical operational insight:
Attackers do not only exploit system vulnerabilities.
They exploit predictable human behavior.
When communication aligns with expected business activity, trust increases.
And that trust becomes the entry point.
Workflow as an Attack Vector
Recent campaigns demonstrate that attacks do not begin outside operations.
They begin within them.
During periods such as fiscal reporting cycles, organizations naturally exchange:
• financial documents
• accounting files
• reports and confirmations
• institution-like communications
This creates an ideal environment for the attacker.
Because malicious content does not need to appear suspicious.
It only needs to appear consistent with the workflow.
ZIP files, PDFs, and links are no longer exceptions.
They are part of daily operations.
And that is exactly where risk materializes.
The Evolution of the Attack: From Credential Theft to Authorization Abuse
Another relevant pattern observed in the CTI bulletin is the growth of consent phishing.
In this model, attackers do not need to steal credentials.
They simply request access.
Seemingly legitimate applications prompt users to grant permissions to:
• corporate email accounts
• document repositories
• contact directories
Once access is granted, attackers operate within the environment under authorized conditions.
From a technical perspective, this is an identity governance issue.
From an operational perspective, it is a decision moment that appears routine — but carries significant security impact.
Legitimate Tools as Attack Infrastructure
Another pattern involves the use of legitimate tools after initial access is obtained.
Remote administration and support tools are widely used for operational purposes.
However, once access is established, these same tools can be used to:
• maintain persistence
• enable lateral movement
• execute actions within the environment
Because the tools themselves are legitimate, detection cannot rely solely on signatures.
It depends on behavioral context.
This reflects an important shift:
Modern detection must focus on what is being done — not just what is being used.
The Layer Where It All Begins
Organizations continue to mature their security controls.
Firewalls, EDR, SIEM, identity protection, and threat intelligence are essential.
Yet the attack chain still begins before any of these controls are engaged.
It begins with something much simpler:
• a message
• a file
• a request
• a permission prompt
The technical attack comes later.
The first step is a human decision.
And that decision occurs within operations — not outside them.
The Operational Lesson
Reducing exposure is not only a matter of deploying technology.
It requires operational discipline embedded into daily workflows.
This includes:
• validating unexpected requests
• confirming administrative actions
• reviewing granted permissions
• questioning communications that create urgency or authority
This is not about increasing generic awareness.
It is about integrating security into real operational behavior.
Stay Cyber Aware
Cyber resilience is not only about detecting attacks.
It is about reducing the likelihood that the entry point succeeds.
Threat intelligence consistently shows that attackers choose the simplest path.
And that path is rarely technical.
It is operational.
Exposure does not begin in infrastructure.
It begins in behavior.
Daniel Porta
CISO | Cyber Resilience Architect | Enterprise & Workforce Resilience
Founder – Cyber Resilience Initiatives
