Cybersecurity definition
What is Lateral Movement?
By Cyber Tool Stack Editorial TeamUpdated
Definition
The stage of an attack where, after gaining an initial foothold, an intruder moves from system to system inside a network to reach more valuable targets, often using stolen credentials rather than new exploits.
Where Lateral Movement fits in the security landscape
These beginner lessons use this term while explaining the surrounding security control.
- Guarding the accounts that could burn it all downPrivileged Access Management
- Catching intruders the firewall already let inIntrusion Detection & Network Detection and Response
- How a bad container gets stopped at the cluster doorContainer & Kubernetes Security
- What happens after a breach is confirmedDigital Forensics & Incident Response
Related cybersecurity terms
C2Command and ControlThe infrastructure and channel an attacker uses to remotely control malware already running on a compromised system — issuing commands, exfiltrating data, or pulling down additional tools.Privileged AccountA login — administrator, database, or service account — capable of far more damage than an ordinary user account if it's stolen or misused.Kill ChainA model that breaks an attack into a sequence of stages — reconnaissance, weaponization, delivery, exploitation, and so on through actions on objectives — on the premise that breaking any single link stops the whole attack.