TOR Exit Node Traffic Impact

D.

TOR (The Onion Router) is a network that allows users to browse the internet anonymously by routing their traffic through multiple nodes in a way that makes it difficult to trace. However, TOR is also commonly used by cybercriminals for various malicious activities, including data exfiltration, command-and-control communication, and accessing illicit websites.

If an engineer receives a security alert indicating that traffic with a known TOR exit node has occurred on the network, it suggests that a device on the network has communicated with a TOR exit node. This traffic could have several potential impacts, including:

C. Data Exfiltration: TOR can be used by attackers to exfiltrate sensitive data from a compromised network without being detected. If the traffic with the TOR exit node is an indication of data exfiltration, it could pose a significant threat to the confidentiality and integrity of the organization's sensitive data.

D. User Circumvention of the Firewall: Some users may try to circumvent the organization's firewall by using TOR to access blocked websites or services. If the traffic with the TOR exit node is an indication of user circumvention, it could suggest that the organization's security policies need to be reviewed and updated.

A. Ransomware Communicating After Infection: While TOR is not commonly used for ransomware communication, some variants of ransomware have been known to use TOR to communicate with the attacker's command-and-control infrastructure. If the traffic with the TOR exit node is an indication of ransomware communication, it could suggest that the organization's network has been infected with ransomware.

B. Users Downloading Copyrighted Content: TOR is also commonly used by users to download copyrighted content without being traced. If the traffic with the TOR exit node is an indication of users downloading copyrighted content, it may not pose a significant security risk to the organization, but it could still violate the organization's acceptable use policies.

In summary, if an engineer receives a security alert indicating that traffic with a known TOR exit node has occurred on the network, it suggests that there could be potential security risks to the organization, such as data exfiltration, user circumvention of the firewall, or ransomware communication. The impact of this traffic would depend on the specific nature and intent of the traffic.