
Analyzing Ransomware Network Indicators
- 256 installs
- 27.3k repo stars
- Updated August 2, 2026
- mukul975/anthropic-cybersecurity-skills
Guide analysis of ransomware-related network indicators during incident response or threat-hunting for developers running production services.
About
Analyzing Ransomware Network Indicators is a security-focused agent skill from the Anthropic cybersecurity skills corpus, aimed at helping operators and indie builders with production exposure interpret network-level signs associated with ransomware activity. Prism lists it for solo founders who wear the security hat: when logs, DNS, beaconing, or C2-like traffic patterns raise alarm, the skill steers systematic indicator review rather than ad-hoc guessing. Public README material in the ingest is largely license text, so treat operational steps as defined in the full SKILL.md in-repo. Use during Operate when investigating anomalies or validating threat intel, often paired with monitoring and IR runbooks. Intermediate to advanced: comfort with networks, logs, and incident escalation is assumed. Outcomes are clearer prioritization of network IoCs and next investigative actions—not automatic eradication without human judgment.
- Focus on ransomware network indicator analysis for defenders
- Fits Anthropic open cybersecurity skills collection (Apache 2.0 licensed repo)
- Supports structured triage of suspicious network IoCs tied to ransomware campaigns
- Intended for agent-assisted security workflows alongside SOC playbooks
- Complements broader cybersecurity skills in the same repository
Analyzing Ransomware Network Indicators by the numbers
- 256 all-time installs (skills.sh)
- +15 installs in the week ending Aug 4, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
- Ranked #676 of 2,203 Security skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
- Security screen: LOW risk (skills.sh audit)
- Data as of Aug 5, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
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| Installs | 256 |
|---|---|
| repo stars | ★ 27.3k |
| Security audit | 3 / 3 scanners passed |
| Last updated | August 2, 2026 |
| Repository | mukul975/anthropic-cybersecurity-skills ↗ |
What it does
Guide analysis of ransomware-related network indicators during incident response or threat-hunting for developers running production services.
Files
Analyzing Ransomware Network Indicators
Overview
Before and during ransomware execution, adversaries establish C2 channels, exfiltrate data, and download encryption keys. This skill analyzes Zeek conn.log and NetFlow data to detect beaconing patterns (regular-interval callbacks), connections to known TOR exit nodes, large outbound data transfers, and suspicious DNS activity associated with ransomware families.
When to Use
- When investigating security incidents that require analyzing ransomware network indicators
- When building detection rules or threat hunting queries for this domain
- When SOC analysts need structured procedures for this analysis type
- When validating security monitoring coverage for related attack techniques
Prerequisites
- Zeek conn.log files or NetFlow CSV/JSON exports
- Python 3.8+ with standard library
- TOR exit node list (fetched from Tor Project or threat intel feeds)
- Optional: Known ransomware C2 IOC list
Steps
1. Parse Connection Logs — Ingest Zeek conn.log (TSV) or NetFlow records into structured format 2. Detect Beaconing Patterns — Calculate connection interval statistics (mean, stddev, coefficient of variation) to identify periodic callbacks 3. Check TOR Exit Node Connections — Cross-reference destination IPs against current TOR exit node list 4. Identify Data Exfiltration — Flag connections with unusually high outbound byte ratios to external IPs 5. Analyze DNS Patterns — Detect DGA-like domain queries and high-entropy subdomains 6. Score and Correlate — Apply composite risk scoring across all indicator types 7. Generate Report — Produce structured report with timeline and MITRE ATT&CK mapping
Expected Output
- JSON report with beaconing detections and interval statistics
- TOR exit node connection alerts
- Data exfiltration flow analysis
- Composite ransomware risk score with MITRE mapping (T1071, T1573, T1041)
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Ransomware Network Indicator Analysis API Reference
Zeek conn.log Fields
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
ts | Connection timestamp (epoch) | 1609459200.123 |
uid | Unique connection ID | CYxTKo2zkGkGbfJFi |
id.orig_h | Source IP | 192.168.1.100 |
id.orig_p | Source port | 49152 |
id.resp_h | Destination IP | 185.220.101.1 |
id.resp_p | Destination port | 443 |
proto | Protocol | tcp |
duration | Connection duration (seconds) | 0.5 |
orig_bytes | Bytes sent by originator | 1024 |
resp_bytes | Bytes sent by responder | 512 |
conn_state | Connection state | SF |
Beaconing Detection Algorithm
1. Group connections by (src_ip, dst_ip, dst_port)
2. Sort timestamps within each group
3. Calculate intervals: t[i+1] - t[i]
4. Compute statistics:
- mean_interval = mean(intervals)
- stddev = stdev(intervals)
- coefficient_of_variation = stddev / mean_interval
5. Flag as beaconing if CV < 0.3 (regular interval pattern)
- CV < 0.1 = critical (highly regular)
- CV 0.1-0.3 = high (moderately regular)TOR Exit Node Detection
# Fetch current TOR exit node list
curl -s https://check.torproject.org/torbulkexitlist > tor_exits.txt
# Alternative: Dan.me.uk TOR list
curl -s https://www.dan.me.uk/torlist/?exit > tor_exits_alt.txt
# Cross-reference with Zeek conn.log
zeek-cut id.resp_h < conn.log | sort -u | comm -12 - tor_exits_sorted.txtRITA (Real Intelligence Threat Analytics) for Zeek
# Import Zeek logs into RITA
rita import /opt/zeek/logs/current rita_db
# Analyze beaconing
rita show-beacons rita_db
# Show long connections
rita show-long-connections rita_db
# DNS analysis
rita show-exploded-dns rita_dbZeek CLI for Live Capture
# Analyze PCAP with Zeek
zeek -r capture.pcap
# Live capture on interface
zeek -i eth0 local.zeek
# Extract conn.log fields
zeek-cut ts id.orig_h id.resp_h id.resp_p orig_bytes resp_bytes < conn.logMITRE ATT&CK Mapping
| Technique | ID | Network Indicator |
|---|---|---|
| Application Layer Protocol | T1071 | C2 beaconing patterns |
| Encrypted Channel | T1573 | TOR/encrypted C2 traffic |
| Exfiltration Over C2 Channel | T1041 | High outbound byte ratio |
| Data Encrypted for Impact | T1486 | Ransomware encryption |
#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""Detect ransomware network indicators: C2 beaconing, TOR connections, data exfiltration via Zeek/NetFlow."""
import json
import csv
import argparse
import urllib.request
from datetime import datetime
from collections import defaultdict
from statistics import mean, stdev
TOR_EXIT_LIST_URL = "https://check.torproject.org/torbulkexitlist"
def parse_zeek_conn_log(log_path):
"""Parse Zeek conn.log TSV format into structured records."""
connections = []
with open(log_path) as f:
headers = None
for line in f:
if line.startswith("#fields"):
headers = line.strip().split("\t")[1:]
continue
if line.startswith("#"):
continue
if headers:
fields = line.strip().split("\t")
record = {}
for i, h in enumerate(headers):
record[h] = fields[i] if i < len(fields) else "-"
connections.append(record)
return connections
def parse_netflow_csv(log_path):
"""Parse NetFlow CSV export into connection records."""
connections = []
with open(log_path) as f:
reader = csv.DictReader(f)
for row in reader:
connections.append({
"ts": row.get("timestamp", row.get("start_time", "")),
"id.orig_h": row.get("src_ip", row.get("sa", "")),
"id.resp_h": row.get("dst_ip", row.get("da", "")),
"id.resp_p": row.get("dst_port", row.get("dp", "")),
"proto": row.get("protocol", row.get("pr", "")),
"orig_bytes": row.get("src_bytes", row.get("ibyt", "0")),
"resp_bytes": row.get("dst_bytes", row.get("obyt", "0")),
"duration": row.get("duration", row.get("td", "0")),
})
return connections
def fetch_tor_exit_nodes():
"""Fetch current TOR exit node IP list from Tor Project."""
try:
req = urllib.request.Request(TOR_EXIT_LIST_URL, headers={"User-Agent": "SecurityAgent/1.0"})
with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=15) as resp:
nodes = set()
for line in resp.read().decode().splitlines():
line = line.strip()
if line and not line.startswith("#"):
nodes.add(line)
return nodes
except Exception as e:
return set()
def detect_beaconing(connections, min_connections=10, max_cv=0.3):
"""Detect C2 beaconing by analyzing connection interval regularity."""
pair_timestamps = defaultdict(list)
for conn in connections:
src = conn.get("id.orig_h", "")
dst = conn.get("id.resp_h", "")
port = conn.get("id.resp_p", "")
ts = conn.get("ts", "")
if src and dst and ts != "-":
try:
pair_timestamps[(src, dst, port)].append(float(ts))
except (ValueError, TypeError):
continue
beacons = []
for (src, dst, port), timestamps in pair_timestamps.items():
if len(timestamps) < min_connections:
continue
timestamps.sort()
intervals = [timestamps[i+1] - timestamps[i] for i in range(len(timestamps)-1)]
if not intervals:
continue
avg_interval = mean(intervals)
if avg_interval == 0:
continue
sd = stdev(intervals) if len(intervals) > 1 else 0
cv = sd / avg_interval if avg_interval > 0 else 999
if cv <= max_cv:
beacons.append({
"source": src, "destination": dst, "port": port,
"connection_count": len(timestamps),
"avg_interval_seconds": round(avg_interval, 2),
"interval_stddev": round(sd, 2),
"coefficient_of_variation": round(cv, 4),
"severity": "critical" if cv < 0.1 else "high",
"indicator": "Regular beaconing pattern detected",
"mitre": "T1071",
})
return beacons
def detect_tor_connections(connections, tor_nodes):
"""Cross-reference connections against TOR exit node list."""
tor_hits = []
for conn in connections:
dst = conn.get("id.resp_h", "")
src = conn.get("id.orig_h", "")
if dst in tor_nodes:
tor_hits.append({
"source": src, "destination": dst,
"port": conn.get("id.resp_p", ""),
"bytes_sent": conn.get("orig_bytes", "0"),
"severity": "high",
"indicator": "Connection to TOR exit node",
"mitre": "T1573",
})
unique_tor = len({h["destination"] for h in tor_hits})
return tor_hits, unique_tor
def detect_exfiltration(connections, byte_threshold=100_000_000):
"""Detect potential data exfiltration by high outbound byte transfer."""
pair_bytes = defaultdict(lambda: {"sent": 0, "received": 0, "count": 0})
for conn in connections:
src = conn.get("id.orig_h", "")
dst = conn.get("id.resp_h", "")
if not src or not dst:
continue
if dst.startswith(("10.", "192.168.", "172.16.", "127.")):
continue
try:
sent = int(conn.get("orig_bytes", 0)) if conn.get("orig_bytes", "-") != "-" else 0
recv = int(conn.get("resp_bytes", 0)) if conn.get("resp_bytes", "-") != "-" else 0
except ValueError:
continue
pair_bytes[(src, dst)]["sent"] += sent
pair_bytes[(src, dst)]["received"] += recv
pair_bytes[(src, dst)]["count"] += 1
exfil_alerts = []
for (src, dst), stats in pair_bytes.items():
if stats["sent"] > byte_threshold:
ratio = stats["sent"] / max(stats["received"], 1)
exfil_alerts.append({
"source": src, "destination": dst,
"bytes_sent": stats["sent"],
"bytes_received": stats["received"],
"send_receive_ratio": round(ratio, 2),
"connection_count": stats["count"],
"severity": "critical" if stats["sent"] > byte_threshold * 5 else "high",
"indicator": "High outbound data transfer (potential exfiltration)",
"mitre": "T1041",
})
return exfil_alerts
def generate_report(connections, beacons, tor_hits, tor_unique, exfil_alerts, source):
"""Generate ransomware network indicator report."""
total_alerts = len(beacons) + len(tor_hits) + len(exfil_alerts)
risk_score = min(100, len(beacons) * 20 + tor_unique * 15 + len(exfil_alerts) * 25)
return {
"report_time": datetime.utcnow().isoformat(),
"log_source": source,
"total_connections": len(connections),
"ransomware_risk_score": risk_score,
"risk_level": "critical" if risk_score >= 70 else "high" if risk_score >= 40 else "medium",
"beaconing_detections": beacons,
"tor_connection_alerts": len(tor_hits),
"tor_unique_nodes": tor_unique,
"tor_hits_sample": tor_hits[:10],
"exfiltration_alerts": exfil_alerts,
"mitre_techniques": ["T1071", "T1573", "T1041", "T1486"],
"total_alerts": total_alerts,
}
def main():
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Ransomware Network Indicator Analyzer")
parser.add_argument("--input", required=True, help="Zeek conn.log or NetFlow CSV file")
parser.add_argument("--format", choices=["zeek", "netflow"], default="zeek")
parser.add_argument("--output", default="ransomware_network_report.json")
parser.add_argument("--beacon-min", type=int, default=10, help="Min connections for beaconing")
parser.add_argument("--exfil-threshold", type=int, default=100_000_000, help="Exfil byte threshold")
parser.add_argument("--skip-tor", action="store_true", help="Skip TOR exit node check")
args = parser.parse_args()
if args.format == "zeek":
connections = parse_zeek_conn_log(args.input)
else:
connections = parse_netflow_csv(args.input)
print(f"[*] Parsed {len(connections)} connections from {args.input}")
beacons = detect_beaconing(connections, min_connections=args.beacon_min)
tor_nodes = set() if args.skip_tor else fetch_tor_exit_nodes()
tor_hits, tor_unique = detect_tor_connections(connections, tor_nodes)
exfil_alerts = detect_exfiltration(connections, args.exfil_threshold)
report = generate_report(connections, beacons, tor_hits, tor_unique, exfil_alerts, args.input)
with open(args.output, "w") as f:
json.dump(report, f, indent=2, default=str)
print(f"[+] Beaconing: {len(beacons)} | TOR: {len(tor_hits)} ({tor_unique} nodes) | Exfil: {len(exfil_alerts)}")
print(f"[+] Ransomware risk score: {report['ransomware_risk_score']}/100 ({report['risk_level']})")
print(f"[+] Report saved to {args.output}")
if __name__ == "__main__":
main()
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