Data leakage refers to the unauthorized transmission of sensitive information from within an organization to an external destination. This can be accidental or malicious, posing a significant threat to businesses of all sizes.
Common causes of data leakage:
Human error: Accidental emails, misconfigured access controls, or improper data disposal.
Malicious insiders: Employees or contractors intentionally stealing or leaking data.
System vulnerabilities: Exploiting software bugs or security flaws to access and exfiltrate data.
Weak third-party security: Data leaks occur through insecure partner or vendor systems.
The impact of data leakage:
Financial loss: Loss of revenue, regulatory fines, and legal expenses.
Reputational damage: Loss of customer trust, negative publicity, and brand devaluation.
Legal and compliance issues: Violations of data privacy regulations like GDPR, CCPA, or HIPAA.
Competitive disadvantage: Loss of intellectual property and trade secrets.
How ThreatNG Helps Detect Data Leakage
ThreatNG offers a multi-faceted approach to data leakage detection:
1. Sensitive Data Discovery:
Sensitive code exposure: ThreatNG scans public code repositories, online sharing platforms, and archived web pages for exposed credentials, API keys, and sensitive configuration files that could lead to data leakage.
Database exposure: ThreatNG identifies exposed databases and database credentials that could be exploited to access and steal sensitive information.
Cloud and SaaS exposure: ThreatNG detects misconfigured cloud storage buckets, unsecured SaaS applications, and other cloud-related vulnerabilities that could lead to data leakage.
Dark web monitoring: ThreatNG monitors the dark web for any signs of your organization's data being sold or traded, indicating a potential data leak.
Social media monitoring: ThreatNG tracks social media for mentions of data leaks or suspicious activity related to your organization.
3. Investigation and Analysis:
Search engine exploitation: ThreatNG helps investigate your organization's susceptibility to data exposure through search engines, identifying potential leaks of sensitive information.
Online sharing exposure: ThreatNG monitors online code-sharing platforms and other websites for unauthorized sharing of your organization's data.
Archived web pages: ThreatNG analyzes archived web pages for historical evidence of data leaks or vulnerabilities that could lead to future leaks.
Examples of ThreatNG's Data Leakage Detection Capabilities
Detecting Exposed Credentials: ThreatNG can identify API keys, database credentials, and other sensitive information accidentally exposed in public code repositories or online sharing platforms. This helps prevent attackers from exploiting these credentials to access and steal data.
Identifying Leaky Cloud Storage: ThreatNG can detect misconfigured cloud storage buckets or services that are publicly accessible, allowing you to secure them and prevent unauthorized access to your data.
Uncovering Data Leaks on the Dark Web: ThreatNG can alert you if your organization's data is found being sold or traded on the dark web, indicating a potential data breach or leak.
Complementary Solutions and Services
Data loss prevention (DLP) solutions: Integrate ThreatNG with DLP solutions to enforce data security policies and prevent sensitive data from leaving your organization's network.
Security information and event management (SIEM) systems: Integrate ThreatNG with your SIEM to centralize security logs and improve threat detection and response.
Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS): Use IDPS in conjunction with ThreatNG to monitor network traffic for suspicious activity that could indicate data exfiltration.
By leveraging ThreatNG's capabilities and integrating them with complementary solutions, organizations can proactively detect and prevent data leakage, safeguard their sensitive information, and comply with data privacy regulations.
