MITRE ATT&CK Technique
Command and Control
T1079
Description
An adversary performs C2 communications using multiple layers of encryption, typically (but not exclusively) tunneling a custom encryption scheme within a protocol encryption scheme such as HTTPS or SMTPS.
Supported Platforms
Linux
macOS
Windows
Created
April 29, 2026
Last Updated
April 29, 2026
STIX Data
{'created': '2017-05-31T21:31:01.315Z',
'created_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
'description': 'An adversary performs C2 communications using multiple layers '
'of encryption, typically (but not exclusively) tunneling a '
'custom encryption scheme within a protocol encryption scheme '
'such as HTTPS or SMTPS.',
'external_references': [{'external_id': 'T1079',
'source_name': 'mitre-attack',
'url': 'https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1079'},
{'description': 'Butler, M. (2013, November). Finding '
'Hidden Threats by Decrypting SSL. '
'Retrieved April 5, 2016.',
'source_name': 'SANS Decrypting SSL',
'url': 'http://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/analyst/finding-hidden-threats-decrypting-ssl-34840'},
{'description': 'Dormann, W. (2015, March 13). The '
'Risks of SSL Inspection. Retrieved '
'April 5, 2016.',
'source_name': 'SEI SSL Inspection Risks',
'url': 'https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/cert/2015/03/the-risks-of-ssl-inspection.html'},
{'description': 'Fidelis Cybersecurity. (2015, August '
'4). Looking at the Sky for a '
'DarkComet. Retrieved April 5, 2016.',
'source_name': 'Fidelis DarkComet',
'url': 'https://www.fidelissecurity.com/sites/default/files/FTA_1018_looking_at_the_sky_for_a_dark_comet.pdf'},
{'description': 'Gardiner, J., Cova, M., Nagaraja, '
'S. (2014, February). Command & '
'Control Understanding, Denying and '
'Detecting. Retrieved April 20, 2016.',
'source_name': 'University of Birmingham C2',
'url': 'https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1408/1408.1136.pdf'}],
'id': 'attack-pattern--428ca9f8-0e33-442a-be87-f869cb4cf73e',
'kill_chain_phases': [{'kill_chain_name': 'mitre-attack',
'phase_name': 'command-and-control'}],
'modified': '2025-10-24T17:48:42.516Z',
'name': 'Multilayer Encryption',
'object_marking_refs': ['marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168'],
'revoked': True,
'spec_version': '2.1',
'type': 'attack-pattern',
'x_mitre_attack_spec_version': '3.2.0',
'x_mitre_deprecated': False,
'x_mitre_detection': '',
'x_mitre_domains': ['enterprise-attack'],
'x_mitre_is_subtechnique': False,
'x_mitre_modified_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
'x_mitre_platforms': ['Linux', 'macOS', 'Windows'],
'x_mitre_version': '1.1'}