Story Time: A Message from HR
It was a regular Monday morning. Monica, a friendly Software Developer working in IT company, sipping her coffee and opening her inbox.
Among the usual meeting invites and status updates, one email has got her attention.
Subject: “Urgent: Revised Salary Structure. Immediate Action Required”
Monica stopped for a second and thought, “Is this about a salary increase?” She smiled. Without thinking too much, she clicked the link.
The document didn’t open. Instead, a blank page appeared for a second and closed.
“Oh well… maybe it’s not working,” Monica said and continued with her day.
But in the background, a hacker had already entered.
Behind the Click
Monica didn’t know that one simple click had silently installed a malicious program on her laptop.
It didn’t crash her system. It didn’t flash warnings. It stayed hidden and started watching.
The malware began tracking what she is doing, stealing her saved passwords, and learning how the company’s network was set up. It was like a spy who entered through an open door, dressed like a delivery person.
What Are TTPs, and Why Do They Matter?
Let’s pause the story for a moment.
Monica didn’t just download a random virus. She walked into a trap. The hackers followed a pattern to trap her which is used in worldwide. Cybersecurity Expert call this pattern TTP.
· Tactics – What the attacker is trying to achieve
· Technique – How they try to achieve it
· Procedure – The step-by-step playbook they use
Think of it planning a robbery.
The Tactics is stealing the money from the bank. Technique is break into the vault. Procedure wear disguises, disable alarms, use tools to crack the vault, escape via planned route.
Attackers plan cyberattacks the same way, with a goal, a method, and a step-by-step plan.
How the Hacker Got In – The TTP Playbook in Action
Monica clicked a fake HR email link. Nothing exploded. No alarms went off. No files vanished.
The hacker followed a smart plan. They didn’t use loud viruses or crash systems. Instead, they followed a step-by-step plan used by cybercriminals around the world, TTP.
1. The hacker wants to get into the company’s internal systems. But breaking through firewall and security is hard to achieve, so they use the easiest way. Trick an employee into letting them in. That was Monica, and her didn’t even know she had opened the door. This is the Tactics.
2. The hackers use attack called spear phishing, which sent scam email to individuals. The attacker studied Monica, her job, her team, what she is doing in the company and how HR usually talks and then they made a fake email that just look like real one from HR.
· It had official company branding
· It uses Monica’s name
· It uses Professional and urgent like HR
3. Once the malware got inside, it didn’t show any warnings. It acted like a thief who sneaks around without waking anyone. What happened it was,
· Installed itself quietly on Monica’s laptop
· Stole passwords and important files
· Tried to access other computers and shared folders
· Created a secret way back in so the hacker could return anytime
· Planned the next attack
This wasn’t fast or loud. It was slow, sneaky, and hidden — like termites quietly damaging a house before anyone notices.
The Wake-Up Call: Finding the Intruder
A week later, Monica’s laptop showed a warning during a regular security check.
The security team looks deeply and analyses her laptop
· Unusual Login
· Unknown Program running silently
· Internal email is being forwarded to outside
Security experts followed these signs and finally found the malware using TTP. Helped the behavior and the next move of the attacker what they do. TTP helped analysts understand the intent behind the activity, helped identify the phishing email and how access was gained, helped trace the hacker’s movements and digital fingerprints. Through this behavior they spot the thread earlier and prevent it, Understand what attacker is trying to do, Block future attacks using the same method. Conclusion: What this Matter to you?
From Monica’s story what we learn are:
· Hackers don’t attack our system directly, they attack people.
· TTP help to understand attackers’ behavior to stop their further actions
· You don’t need to have technical knowledge about this, Awareness is the best defense
TTPs may sound technical — but they simply describe how hackers think and operate. Understanding them helps the security team to track threats and helps you spot danger before it reaches your computer.
Next time you get an urgent email or suspicious link —Remember Monica. And don’t let the intruder in.
