Post-Incident Review: The 'Meggie' Advanced Persistent Threat
Tribute Disclaimer: This post is a lighthearted tribute to my dog, Meggie, who passed away recently. The “security incidents” described below are actually the small, annoying quirks that I still remember fondly. This is written purely for fun and to keep her memory alive.
We often analyze threats that are active, but sometimes we must conduct a Post-Incident Review for systems that have been decommissioned.
A few weeks ago, my primary security challenger - a West Highland White Terrier named Meggie - went offline permanently. While she is no longer active on the network, her legacy of social engineering and physical penetration testing deserves a full technical breakdown.
Here is the forensic analysis of her most successful hacks.
1. The 06:00 AM Brute Force Attack
Meggie did not believe in “Business Hours.” Her primary attack vector was a persistent Physical Layer Brute Force (scratching) against the bedroom door perimeter, usually launching between 06:00 and 07:00 AM.
If the firewall (me) attempted to ignore the traffic, the attack intensity increased exponentially. Persistence: Critical.
The “Access Control” Loop Vulnerability
Once I finally granted access and elevated her privileges (lifted her into bed), she would execute a highly confusing script:
- Infiltration: Annoy the administrator for exactly 5 minutes.
- Abort Process: Decide the bed was unauthorized territory.
- Exfiltration: Immediately scratch the door from the inside to let her out again.
It was a classic “Port Knocking” test. She didn’t actually want access; she just wanted to ensure her command-and-control protocols still worked on me.
2. The “Sunset” Reconnaissance Mission
Phase 2 of her daily operations triggered strictly at sunset. We would deploy to the forest sector behind the main facility (home). This was pure Threat Hunting.
We navigated complex terrain-bypassing natural firewalls (crossing streams) and climbing over air-gapped obstacles (logs).
Target Acquisition: We often engaged in “Deep Packet Inspection” of local wildlife. We would sit silently for minutes, waiting to intercept a visual on deer groups. Unlike a noisy script kiddie, Meggie knew the value of stealth operations.
3. Dynamic Power Management
Upon returning from these missions, usually looking like she had just hiked through a savage swamp (integrity check: failed), she would initiate a hard System Hibernation protocol.
She operated on a strict energy cycle:
- Standby Mode: 20 hours of sleep per day.
- Turbo Mode: Triggered instantly upon visual authentication of my arrival.
The transition from “Lazy” to “Wild” when I came home was instantaneous. Zero latency.
Conclusion
The Meggie 1.0 instance has stopped running, but the logs she left in my memory are immutable. She was the most persistent, demanding, and wonderful threat actor I ever had the privilege of defending against.
Fig 1. Meggie, the doggo.
Status: Mission Complete. Rest in Peace.