Which phase of an attack involves installing tools to ensure undetected access?

The phase of an attack that involves installing tools to ensure undetected access is maintaining access. During this phase, an attacker seeks to establish a persistent presence within the target environment after gaining initial access. This often involves deploying malware, backdoors, or other methods that allow the attacker to return to the compromised system at will, even if the original vulnerability is patched or if the system is rebooted.

Maintaining access is crucial for attackers because it enables them to return to their target for further exploitation, data exfiltration, or whatever their ultimate goals may be. This phase includes ensuring that the access methods are stealthy and hard to detect, which may involve using rootkits or remote access Trojans that blend in with legitimate traffic or processes.

The other phases mentioned, such as gaining access, focusing more on breaking into systems through exploitation, or reconnaissance, which is about gathering information to identify vulnerabilities, do not specifically deal with the establishment of ongoing, undetected access. Covering tracks, while also a critical part of many attacks, generally refers to efforts made to erase evidence of the intrusion rather than the act of installing tools for continued access.