Brand protection in cybersecurity encompasses the strategies and actions taken to safeguard an organization's brand reputation, intellectual property, and customer trust from various online threats. It involves a proactive approach to identifying, monitoring, and mitigating risks that could damage the brand, such as:  

• Phishing and social engineering attacks: These attacks use the brand's name and image to deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information or downloading malware.  

• Brand impersonation and counterfeiting: Creating fake websites, social media profiles, or products that mimic the brand to defraud customers.  

• Copyright and trademark infringement: Unauthorized use of the brand's logos, slogans, or other intellectual property.  

• Adverse publicity and reputational damage: Spread of false or misleading information about the brand online.  

• Cybersquatting and domain name abuse: Registering domain names similar to the brand's domain to redirect traffic or host malicious content.  

How ThreatNG Helps with Brand Protection

ThreatNG offers a comprehensive suite of features that contribute to a robust brand protection strategy:  

1. Comprehensive Discovery and Monitoring:

• Domain Intelligence: ThreatNG identifies and analyzes domain names, subdomains, and certificates to detect potentially infringing or malicious websites. This includes identifying cybersquatting attempts, unauthorized use of brand names in domain names, and suspicious registrations that could be used for phishing.  

• Dark Web Monitoring: ThreatNG scans the dark web for any mentions of the brand, including discussions about planned attacks, leaked credentials related to the brand, or the sale of counterfeit products.  

• Online Sharing Exposure: ThreatNG monitors online code-sharing platforms, document-sharing sites, and other forums for any unauthorized use or leakage of brand-related information, such as confidential documents, source code, or internal communications.  

2. Risk Assessment and Prioritization:

• Brand Damage Susceptibility Assessment: ThreatNG assesses the organization's overall susceptibility to brand damage from various online threats and provides risk scores to prioritize mitigation efforts.  

• Phishing and BEC Susceptibility Assessment: ThreatNG identifies vulnerabilities attackers could exploit to misuse the brand for phishing or BEC scams. This includes assessing email security configurations, identifying spoofed domains, and detecting exposed sensitive information that could be used in social engineering attacks.  

• Supply Chain and Third-Party Exposure: ThreatNG assesses the risk of brand misuse or damage by third-party vendors or partners. This allows organizations to ensure their partners adhere to brand guidelines and security standards, minimizing the risk of reputational damage from third-party breaches or incidents.

3. Continuous Monitoring and Alerting:

• Alerts: ThreatNG alerts on potential brand threats, such as phishing attacks, brand impersonation attempts, or negative social media mentions. This enables security teams to take immediate action to mitigate the threat and minimize damage.  

• Automated Monitoring: ThreatNG continuously monitors online channels for any new instances of brand misuse or threats, ensuring proactive detection and response.  

• Trend Analysis: ThreatNG tracks and analyzes trends in brand-related threats and activities, providing valuable insights for proactive mitigation strategies and adjustments to the brand protection plan.  

4. Reporting and Collaboration:

• Brand Protection Reports: ThreatNG generates detailed reports on identified brand threats, including evidence, severity assessment, and recommendations for action. These reports can be customized for different audiences, such as executives, security teams, or legal departments.  

• Collaboration Tools: ThreatNG facilitates collaboration between security teams, legal departments, and brand management teams to address brand threats effectively. This includes role-based access control, shared workspaces, and communication tools.

• Correlation Evidence Questionnaires: ThreatNG's dynamically generated questionnaires help streamline communication and information gathering during investigations of potential brand threats, ensuring efficient and coordinated response efforts.  

5. Integration with Complementary Solutions:

• Brand Protection Services: Integrate ThreatNG with specialized brand protection services for enhanced takedown capabilities, legal support, and online brand monitoring. These services can help identify and remove infringing content, enforce trademarks, and manage online reputation.  

• Security Awareness Training: Educate employees about phishing scams, social engineering tactics, and other online threats that could damage the brand. This will help create a human firewall and reduce the risk of employees falling victim to attacks that exploit the brand's trust. 

• Threat Intelligence Platforms: Enhance ThreatNG's intelligence capabilities with external threat feeds that include information on brand misuse, counterfeit activities, and other brand-related threats. This provides a broader view of the threat landscape and helps proactively identify emerging risks.  

Examples:

• Detecting and Taking Down Phishing Sites: ThreatNG identifies a phishing website impersonating the organization's online banking portal, using its logo and branding to deceive customers. The security team uses this information to remove the site, preventing customers from falling victim to the scam and protecting the brand's reputation.  

• Preventing Domain Name Abuse: ThreatNG identifies a cybersquatter that registers a domain name similar to the organization's trademark. The legal team stops the registration, protecting the brand from potential online fraud and customer confusion.

By implementing ThreatNG and integrating it with complementary solutions, organizations can establish a proactive and comprehensive brand protection program that safeguards their most valuable asset – their brand – in the digital world.