↳ GitHub sourceAnalytics ruleMedium
Deletion of data on multiple drives using cipher exe
Description
This query checks for attempts to delete data on multiple drives using cipher.exe. This activity is typically done by ransomware to prevent recovery of data after encryption.
- Rule type
- Scheduled
- Version
- 1.0.0
- Declared status
- Available
- Query frequency
- 1h
- Query period
- 1h
- Trigger
- gt 0
Declared MITRE coverage
Declared sources
Metadata from the source file. No dependencies inferred from KQL.
Connectors
Data types
KQL query
Original query, unchanged.
// Look for cipher.exe deleting data from multiple drives
DeviceProcessEvents
| where FileName =~ "cipher.exe"
// cipher.exe /w flag used for deleting data
| where ProcessCommandLine has "/w"
| summarize CipherCount = dcount(ProcessCommandLine), CipherList = make_set(ProcessCommandLine, 1000) by DeviceId, DeviceName, bin(TimeGenerated, 1m)
// cipher.exe accessing multiple drives in a short timeframe
| where CipherCount > 1
| extend HostName = iff(DeviceName has '.', substring(DeviceName, 0, indexof(DeviceName, '.')), DeviceName)
| extend DnsDomain = iff(DeviceName has '.', substring(DeviceName, indexof(DeviceName, '.') + 1), "")
Declared entities
Related content
Links established from declared identifiers and solution manifests.
Source provenance
GitHubDisplayed values come from files in Azure/Azure-Sentinel. They describe the published template, not your workspace configuration.
- Commit
9800e51↗- Source identifier
03caa992-477f-4b19-8e2a-8cd58f8f9652
GSTEP / CATALOG TRACKING
Added to catalog : 16 Sept 2026 · 05:49 UTC
Last change observed : 16 Sept 2026 · 05:49 UTC