Atlassian
Atlassian is a software company known for its project management and collaboration solutions. Their products are widely used by businesses of all sizes to manage tasks, track progress, and streamline team communication. Some of their popular offerings include:
Jira: An issue tracking and project management software.
Confluence: A team wiki and knowledge base platform.
Bitbucket: A Git repository management solution for version control.
While Atlassian products are valuable for internal collaboration, organizations must be aware of all externally identifiable implementations connected to their operations for cybersecurity reasons. It includes:
Public Atlassian Instances: Some organizations might have publicly accessible instances for specific purposes like community forums or bug reporting. These can expose sensitive project details or internal discussions.
Subsidiaries and Affiliates: Separate Atlassian deployments could be created for different branches or connected companies, creating data exchange points that require secure configurations.
Third-Party Vendors and Suppliers: Many vendors might use Atlassian solutions for their internal projects, potentially containing data relevant to your collaboration or shared initiatives.
Shadow IT: Employees might use unauthorized personal Atlassian accounts or instances for work purposes, introducing security risks and potential data leakage.
Understanding the entire Atlassian ecosystem is critical for cybersecurity reasons:
Attack Surface Expansion: Every connected Atlassian instance represents a potential entry point for attackers. Vulnerabilities in a third-party's Atlassian setup could be exploited to access your organization's data within those solutions, potentially exposing sensitive project details, credentials, or confidential information.
Data Breaches: Atlassian solutions often store project documents, code repositories, and internal communication. A compromised instance can lead to data breaches and unauthorized access to this critical information.
Misconfigured Access Controls: Improper access controls within Atlassian solutions can grant unauthorized users access to sensitive data or the ability to disrupt project workflows and collaboration.
Compliance Issues: Regulations like GDPR and HIPAA have strict data security requirements. Organizations must be aware of where their data resides and how it flows through connected Atlassian instances to ensure compliance.
By comprehensively mapping their Atlassian ecosystem, organizations can proactively manage security risks and protect their data from unauthorized access within their network and their partners.
ThreatNG fortifying your Atlassian Ecosystem
ThreatNG, with its combined EASM, DRP, and security ratings capabilities, can be valuable in securing your organization's third-party and supply chain ecosystem, particularly concerning Atlassian implementations. Here's how:
1. External Atlassian Identification:
ThreatNG can scan the public internet to identify all externally facing Atlassian instances connected to the organization, its subsidiaries, and its known vendors (third-party connections).
This includes uncovering shadow IT situations in which suppliers or employees might use unauthorized personal Atlassian accounts or instances.
2. Risk Assessment of Atlassian Instances:
ThreatNG can analyze the security posture of identified Atlassian instances. It includes looking for:
Publicly Accessible Instances: Instances accessible through the Internet pose a significant security risk.
Misconfigured Access Controls: Improper access controls granting unauthorized users access to sensitive data or the ability to disrupt workflows.
Outdated Software: Outdated versions of Atlassian products may contain known vulnerabilities.
3. Continuous Monitoring:
ThreatNG can continuously monitor the external attack surface for changes, including new Atlassian instances or newly discovered vulnerabilities in existing ones.
4. Integration with Security solutions:
ThreatNG integrates with various security solutions to create a holistic security posture:
GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance): Identified risks are fed into the GRC platform, triggering pre-defined workflows for third-party risk management.
Risk Management Platforms: ThreatNG shares risk data to help prioritize remediation efforts based on the criticality of the data stored and potential impact.
SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) solutions: ThreatNG can share details about the Atlassian instance with the SSPM solution, which then assesses the supplier's overall security posture.
Workflow Example:
ThreatNG identifies a public Jira instance: The organization receives an alert from ThreatNG about a publicly accessible Atlassian instance used by a marketing agency. The instance contains internal project details and user credentials for a new product launch.
Risk Management & GRC Integration: The risk is fed into the risk management platform and triggers a high-priority workflow in the GRC system for third-party risk management.
Communication and Remediation: The organization's security team immediately contacts the marketing agency, notifying them of the critical security risk and requesting immediate action to secure the instance and remove sensitive information.
SSPM Integration: ThreatNG can share details about the instance with the SSPM solution. The security team can then use the SSPM solution to assess the agency's overall security posture and identify any other potential vulnerabilities in their SaaS applications used for project management and collaboration.
Desired Business Outcomes:
Reduced Third-Party Risk: Organizations can hold suppliers accountable for maintaining secure collaboration practices by proactively identifying and assessing external Atlassian instances.
Improved Security Posture: Continuous monitoring helps identify and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited, preventing data breaches and disruptions to project workflows.
Streamlined Workflow: Integration with existing security solutions allows for a centralized view of security risks, facilitates a more efficient response process, and avoids siloed information.
Enhanced Compliance: Organizations may comply with data protection and secure collaboration regulations by having better visibility into third parties' security postures.
Improved Project Security: Organizations can safeguard sensitive project information and intellectual property by ensuring proper access controls and configurations across all Atlassian instances.
ThreatNG acts as the initial line of defense, uncovering external Atlassian instances and potential security risks. It then integrates with existing security solutions to streamline the risk management process and achieve a more secure third-party and supply chain ecosystem, specifically with Atlassian collaboration solutions.
