Asset Classification
Asset classification in cybersecurity is organizing and categorizing assets based on their criticality, sensitivity, and value to the organization.This involves assigning a classification level to each asset, such as "critical," "high," "medium," or "low," based on factors like the potential impact of its loss or compromise, the type of data it stores, and its regulatory compliance requirements.
Asset classification is a crucial step in cybersecurity risk management as it helps organizations:
Prioritize security efforts: By understanding the value and criticality of different assets, organizations can prioritize their security efforts and allocate resources effectively.
Implement appropriate security controls: Different classification levels may require different security controls. For example, critical assets may require more stringent access controls, encryption, and monitoring than low-value assets.
Ensure compliance: Asset classification helps organizations comply with regulatory requirements that mandate the protection of sensitive data, such as personally identifiable information (PII) or protected health information (PHI).
Improve incident response: During a security incident, asset classification can help quickly identify the affected assets and their criticality, enabling faster containment and recovery.
Asset classification provides a framework for understanding the value and importance of different assets, enabling organizations to make informed decisions about security investments and risk mitigation strategies.
ThreatNG can be a valuable cybersecurity asset classification solution, helping organizations understand the value and criticality of their internet-facing assets. Here's how ThreatNG's features can help with asset classification:
External Discovery and Assessment
ThreatNG's external discovery capabilities are crucial for identifying and cataloging all internet-facing assets, including those not known to internal teams or managed by traditional asset discovery tools. This comprehensive inventory of assets forms the foundation for asset classification.
ThreatNG's external assessment capabilities help assess the criticality and sensitivity of these internet-facing assets. Its various security ratings evaluate susceptibility to different attack vectors, which can be used to inform asset classification decisions. For example:
Web Application Hijack Susceptibility: This rating analyzes the external components of web applications to identify potential weaknesses that attackers could exploit to take control. A high susceptibility rating may indicate a critical asset that requires a higher classification level and more stringent security controls.
Subdomain Takeover Susceptibility: This rating assesses the risk of attackers taking over unused or improperly configured subdomains. A high susceptibility rating may indicate a less critical asset that can be classified lower, but still requires attention to prevent potential security breaches.
Data Leak Susceptibility: This rating evaluates the likelihood of sensitive data being exposed through various channels, such as cloud misconfigurations or dark web leaks. A high susceptibility rating may indicate a critical asset that stores sensitive data and requires a higher classification level to ensure compliance with data protection regulations.
Cyber Risk Exposure: This rating considers various factors, including exposed sensitive ports, known vulnerabilities, and code secret exposure, to determine an organization's overall cyber risk exposure. It can help identify critical assets that contribute significantly to the organization's overall risk profile and require a higher classification level.
ThreatNG's investigation modules enable deep dives into specific assets or areas of concern to gather more detailed information for asset classification. For example:
Domain Intelligence: This module provides detailed information about domain names, subdomains, and associated technologies. It helps identify the function and purpose of different web assets, which can inform their classification.
Sensitive Code Exposure: This module scans public code repositories for sensitive information, such as API keys, access tokens, and database credentials, that attackers could exploit. The presence of highly sensitive information in a code repository may indicate a critical asset that requires a higher classification level.
Cloud and SaaS Exposure: This module identifies the organization's cloud services and SaaS applications, helping assess their criticality based on their functionality and data storage.
ThreatNG's intelligence repositories provide valuable information about potential threats and vulnerabilities that could affect different assets, which can inform their classification. This information includes data on:
Dark web activities: ThreatNG scans the dark web for mentions of the organization, its assets, or its employees, helping identify assets that may be targeted by attackers and require a higher classification level.
Ransomware events and groups: ThreatNG tracks ransomware events and groups, providing insights into current attack trends and potential threats to the organization's assets. Assets particularly vulnerable to ransomware attacks may require a higher classification level.
Known vulnerabilities: ThreatNG maintains a database of known vulnerabilities, helping organizations assess the likelihood of attackers exploiting specific weaknesses in their assets. Assets with critical known vulnerabilities may require a higher classification level.
Working with Complementary Solutions
ThreatNG can integrate with other security solutions to enhance asset classification and risk management. For example, ThreatNG can complement:
Configuration Management Databases (CMDBs): ThreatNG can enrich CMDB data with information about external assets and their associated risks, providing a more complete view of the organization's IT infrastructure and enabling more accurate asset classification.
Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Platforms: ThreatNG can integrate with GRC platforms to provide risk scoring data and insights for asset classification and compliance reporting.
Examples of ThreatNG Helping with Asset Classification
Classifying a Web Application: ThreatNG could identify a web application with a high Web Application Hijack Susceptibility rating and sensitive customer data. This information can be used to classify the application as a critical asset and implement more stringent security controls, such as multi-factor authentication and web application firewalls.
Classifying a Subdomain: ThreatNG could identify a subdomain with a low Subdomain Takeover Susceptibility rating and no sensitive data. This information can be used to classify the subdomain as a low-value asset and implement basic security controls, such as regular monitoring and updates.
Classifying a Cloud Storage Bucket: ThreatNG could identify a cloud storage bucket with a high Data Leak Susceptibility rating and containing protected health information (PHI). This information can be used to classify the bucket as a critical asset and implement strong data protection measures, such as encryption and access controls, to ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations.
By combining its powerful external discovery, assessment, and monitoring capabilities with comprehensive threat intelligence and investigation modules, ThreatNG provides a valuable toolset for asset classification in cybersecurity. This enables organizations to gain a deeper understanding of the value and criticality of their internet-facing assets, make informed decisions about security investments and risk mitigation strategies, and ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards.
