Dictionary · Hacking Techniques and Methodologies
Lateral Movement
Post-access · Advanced
Moving from one system to another inside a network after an initial foothold. Segmentation and separate admin credentials limit how far that movement can go.
The important idea is spread. If every server trusts the same administrator password, one compromise becomes many. Unique credentials and network boundaries make the path shorter.
Example: Logs show one workstation authenticating to several servers it never touches. The identity team treats that path as possible lateral movement.
Common misconception
- It is not the initial entry. It is what happens when access spreads inside.