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   Primary communications are carried over a C2 heartbeat. The heartbeat contains operational information about the C2 agent and can occur at a configurable frequency. The heartbeat provides status information to the C2 server. The response from the heartbeat contains requested operations from the C2 server. These operations are then acknowledged if/when they are completed. This means that the heartbeat is the only operation initiated by the C2 agent and the C2 server responds directly to these heartbeats. Version four of the heartbeat will allow a subscription model to be used for heartbeats to avoid sending unnecessary information. Though Describe can provide parts of the same information the aggregate produced for a heartbeat allows the agent to flush messaging queues to ensure subscribed heartbeats have the most up to date information. Heartbeats are intended to be lightweight structures with minimal information; however, the subscription model supports differing wire protocols and deployment scenarios that support larger payloads.

Protocols

HTTP/S Protocol

  The HTTP/S protocol supports a url for heartbeating and acknowledging operations. These endpoints support the JSON structures defined below. C2 agents must send a heartbeat, defined above, to update the C2 server of its status and to receive operations. The frequency of these calls are up to the C2 agent to define. 

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