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GCP Audit Logs - Detect Bulk VM Snapshot Deletion

Detects bulk deletion of Google Cloud VM snapshots within a short time period, which may indicate data destruction or defense evasion activities. VM snapshots are critical for backup and disaster recovery. Bulk…

Description

Detects bulk deletion of Google Cloud VM snapshots within a short time period, which may indicate data destruction or defense evasion activities. VM snapshots are critical for backup and disaster recovery. Bulk deletion of snapshots can prevent recovery from incidents and may indicate malicious activity such as ransomware, data destruction, or an attempt to cover tracks after a security breach. Adversaries may delete snapshots to maximize damage, prevent forensic investigation, or hinder recovery efforts. This rule triggers when multiple snapshots are deleted by the same user within a 1-minute window.

Detection logic

Detection requirements

Platform
ContainersESXiIaaSLinuxmacOSNetwork DevicesWindows

The rule states no platform. This is derived from the 3 ATT&CK techniques it maps to.

Log source product
gcpauditlogsdefinition
Log source service
gcpauditlogs

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