Ghostware is stealthy malware built to avoid detection. It slips into high-value targets like companies or governments, quietly collects sensitive data, then wipes or hides traces so traditional antivirus has little to find.
Low-noise tactics - blends in with normal processes and traffic
Living-off-the-land - uses built-in tools instead of obvious malware files
Log tampering - clears or alters records to erase its footsteps
Timed activity - works in short bursts to dodge monitoring
Occasional login prompts or re-auth requests you didn’t start
Gaps in logs or disabled auditing on key systems
Strange after-hours network traffic from sensitive hosts
Security tools turned off or set to permissive modes
Isolate likely affected systems and preserve memory and logs.
From a clean admin box, rotate credentials and tokens.
Review outbound connections, block suspicious domains/IPs, and collect samples.
Engage incident response to hunt for persistence and rebuild from clean images if needed.
MFA everywhere and least-privilege access for admins.
Use EDR/XDR that monitors behavior and command-line activity.
Turn on centralized logging with write-once storage and alert on log tampering.
Patch fast on internet-facing apps and keep endpoints updated.
Segment networks and restrict egress so sensitive systems can’t freely call out.