Adversarial Exposure Validation
Adversarial Exposure Validation (AEV) is a proactive security framework that simulates real-world cyberattacks to assess and improve an organization's security posture. It aims to identify and validate security exposures by emulating actual adversaries' tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
Essential Components and Processes of AEV:
Threat Intelligence: AEV leverages up-to-date threat intelligence to understand current attack trends and adversary behaviors.
Attack Simulation: AEV tools automate the execution of various attack scenarios, mimicking the steps an attacker would take to compromise systems or data.
Vulnerability Validation: AEV goes beyond traditional vulnerability scanning by actively testing whether identified vulnerabilities are exploitable in the specific context of the organization's environment and security controls.
Impact Assessment: AEV helps determine the potential impact of successful attacks, such as data breaches, system disruptions, or financial losses.
Remediation Guidance: AEV solutions often provide actionable recommendations for mitigating validated exposures, helping organizations prioritize and address the most critical risks.
Benefits of AEV:
Proactive Security: AEV shifts the focus from reactive to proactive security by identifying and addressing vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.
Realistic Attack Scenarios: AEV provides a more accurate picture of an organization's security posture by simulating realistic attack scenarios.
Prioritization of Risks: AEV helps organizations prioritize remediation efforts by focusing on vulnerabilities most likely to be exploited.
Continuous Improvement: AEV enables constant monitoring and improvement of security controls by providing ongoing feedback on their effectiveness.
AEV vs. Traditional Security Testing:
Traditional Vulnerability Scanning: Focuses on identifying potential vulnerabilities but doesn't assess their exploitability in the organization's environment.
Penetration Testing: Simulates attacks but is often conducted infrequently and may not cover the full range of potential threats.
AEV: Combines the benefits of vulnerability scanning and penetration testing by continuously simulating realistic attacks and validating the exploitability of vulnerabilities.
Adversarial Exposure Validation is a powerful tool for organizations to proactively assess and strengthen their cybersecurity defenses by understanding how attackers might attempt to compromise their systems and data.
ThreatNG, with its comprehensive suite of external attack surface management, digital risk protection, and security rating capabilities, can significantly enhance Adversarial Exposure Validation (AEV) efforts. Here's how ThreatNG can help, how it works with complementary solutions, and specific examples using its investigation modules:
How ThreatNG Helps with AEV:
Comprehensive Asset Discovery: ThreatNG's extensive discovery capabilities help identify all external-facing assets, including unknown or forgotten ones, providing a complete attack surface for AEV.
Accurate Vulnerability Assessment: ThreatNG goes beyond essential vulnerability scanning by assessing the exploitability of vulnerabilities in the context of the organization's specific environment and security controls. It includes evaluating susceptibility to BEC, phishing, ransomware, web application hijacking, and more.
Threat Intelligence Integration: ThreatNG's intelligence repositories provide real-world adversary TTPs, enabling the simulation of realistic attack scenarios during AEV.
Continuous Monitoring: ThreatNG monitors the attack surface for changes and new threats, ensuring that AEV remains updated and effective.
Prioritized Remediation: ThreatNG's risk scoring and reporting features help prioritize remediation efforts based on the severity and likelihood of exploitation.
Working with Complementary Solutions:
ThreatNG can integrate with other security solutions to enhance AEV:
Vulnerability Scanners: ThreatNG can ingest vulnerability scan data and prioritize remediation based on exploitability and threat intelligence.
Penetration Testing Tools: ThreatNG can complement penetration testing by providing a broader view of the attack surface and identifying areas for focused testing.
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Systems: ThreatNG can feed threat intelligence and vulnerability data into SIEM systems for real-time monitoring and incident response.
Examples Using ThreatNG's Investigation Modules:
Identify vulnerable subdomains susceptible to takeover.
Discover exposed APIs and development environments that could be exploited.
Detect misconfigured email security settings (DMARC, SPF, DKIM) that increase phishing risk.
Uncover domain name permutations that attackers could use for spoofing or phishing attacks.
Analyze social media posts for sensitive information leaks or signs of social engineering attacks.
Monitor for brand impersonation or negative sentiment that could damage reputation.
Identify exposed code repositories containing secrets like API keys or passwords.
Analyze mobile apps for vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit.
Discover sensitive information inadvertently exposed through search engines.
Identify vulnerable servers and files accessible through public searches.
Detect unsanctioned cloud services and shadow IT that expand the attack surface.
Identify misconfigured cloud storage buckets or SaaS applications that could lead to data breaches.
Uncover sensitive information shared on code-sharing platforms or online forums.
Monitor for negative news or financial events that could impact security posture or attract attackers.
Discover outdated or forgotten web pages containing vulnerabilities or sensitive information.
Identify compromised credentials or mentions of the organization in dark web forums.
Monitor for ransomware threats or data leaks related to the organization.
Understand the organization's technology stack to identify vulnerabilities and prioritize patching efforts.
By leveraging ThreatNG's comprehensive capabilities and integrating with complementary solutions, organizations can implement a robust AEV program to proactively identify and mitigate security exposures, strengthening their overall cybersecurity posture.
