What does lateral movement refer to in cybersecurity?

Lateral movement in cybersecurity specifically refers to the techniques and actions that an attacker takes after gaining initial access to a network, to navigate through the network and access different machines or systems, often with the intent of gaining higher privileges or accessing sensitive data. This movement is typically within the same environment or organizational network, as attackers seek to find and exploit additional resources or information that may not be openly visible from their point of entry.

The notion of lateral movement captures scenarios where intruders may utilize a compromised system to infiltrate other systems, thereby bypassing security controls and expanding their foothold in the network. This behavior can be indicative of more extensive attacks where isolation of different segments is necessary to contain potential damage.

In this context, simply moving from one network to the Internet does not encompass the behavior described by lateral movement. Similarly, accessing data from a secure database or moving between computing environments may refer to other types of network interactions but do not capture the specific aspect of navigating within an organizational network post-initial compromise that lateral movement entails. Therefore, the best choice explains how attackers interact within a confined environment, making the concept of lateral movement critical in understanding cybersecurity threats and defenses.