Business Software & Operations technologies are digital tools and platforms designed to streamline, automate, and manage various aspects of a company's day-to-day functions. These solutions often handle sensitive data and processes critical to business operations, making them attractive targets for cyberattacks.

Importance of Knowing Sanctioned and Unsanctioned Usage:

1. Data Security and Privacy: Business software often stores confidential information like customer data, financial records, and intellectual property. Unsanctioned use of such tools can lead to data breaches, unauthorized access, and potential legal and financial repercussions.
   
   

2. Shadow IT Risk: Unsanctioned software, deployed without IT's knowledge or approval, introduces a significant risk to the organization's cybersecurity posture. These tools may lack proper security controls, creating vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit.
   
   

3. Third-Party Risk Management: Many business software solutions are cloud-based or involve integrations with third-party vendors. Understanding which tools are in use, both sanctioned and unsanctioned, is crucial for assessing and managing the associated third-party risks.
   
   

4. Compliance and Governance: Regulatory compliance often mandates strict controls over data handling and processing. Unsanctioned software may not adhere to these requirements, putting the organization at risk of non-compliance and penalties.
   
   

5. Incident Response and Remediation: In a security incident, knowing which business software is in use helps security teams quickly identify affected systems, prioritize remediation efforts, and minimize the breach's impact.
   
   

External Identifiability and Cybersecurity:

Specific indicators can reveal its presence externally, whether the software is on-premise or cloud-based. These may include:

• DNS records: Subdomains or specific domain names associated with the software vendor.

• Network traffic: Distinct patterns or protocols used by the software for communication.

• Job postings: Companies often list the tools they use in their job descriptions.

• Data breaches: Leaked credentials or information from breaches may expose the usage of specific tools.

From a cybersecurity standpoint, the external visibility of unsanctioned software is alarming as it exposes potential vulnerabilities to attackers. It is crucial to regularly scan for such exposures and take appropriate action to mitigate the risk.

Types and Vendors:

• CRM: HubSpot and Salesforce store customer data and interactions, and unauthorized access can lead to identity theft and fraud.

• Project Management: Asana, ClickUp: These contain project plans, timelines, and potentially sensitive internal communications that could be leveraged for social engineering or targeted attacks.

• Low-code Platform: Airtable, Appian: If misconfigured or insecurely deployed, these platforms can introduce vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit to access underlying data or systems.

• Human Resources Management (HRM): BambooHR: Stores sensitive employee information, including personal details and payroll data, making it a prime target for identity theft and financial fraud.

• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): Workday centralizes critical business data, which unauthorized access can cause widespread disruption of operations and financial loss.

• IT Service Management (ITSM): ServiceNow Manages IT service requests and incidents. Unauthorized access can disrupt IT operations and potentially expose sensitive information about vulnerabilities and incident response plans.

• Business Management Software: Tave often handles financial data and client information, making it vulnerable to fraud and data breaches.

• Business Monitoring: Anodot Aggregates data from various sources. Unauthorized access can expose sensitive business metrics and potentially reveal proprietary information.

• Investor Relations: Q4: Deals with financial information and disclosures; a breach can lead to market manipulation or insider trading.

• Proposal Software: Proposify: Contains confidential proposals and pricing information; a breach can lead to competitive disadvantage and loss of business.

• Accounts Payable Automation: Tipalti processes financial transactions, but unauthorized access can result in fraudulent payments and economic losses.

Understanding and controlling business software and operations technologies is essential for maintaining a robust cybersecurity posture. Regularly assessing the organization's sanctioned and unsanctioned software landscape allows for better risk management, data protection, and incident response.

ThreatNG offers a comprehensive suite of capabilities that significantly enhance an organization's understanding and management of external risks related to business software and operations technologies:

How ThreatNG Helps:

1. Uncover Shadow IT and Misconfigurations: ThreatNG's external scanning capabilities can identify instances where unsanctioned business software is being used or where sanctioned software is misconfigured and potentially exposed to the public internet. This proactive detection helps organizations address these risks before they become exploited vulnerabilities.

2. Assess Third-Party and Supply Chain Risks: ThreatNG's deep web scanning and analysis extends to third-party vendors and suppliers, revealing any vulnerabilities or security gaps in their use of business software. It allows organizations to make informed decisions about their partnerships and mitigate potential risks. 

3. Prioritize Remediation Efforts: ThreatNG provides insights into the specific software being used, potential vulnerabilities, and the level of risk associated with each exposure. This data enables security teams to prioritize remediation efforts based on the most critical threats.  

4. Enhance Security Ratings: By incorporating ThreatNG's findings, organizations can improve their security ratings, demonstrating a proactive approach to cybersecurity and building trust with stakeholders.

Working with Complementary Solutions:

ThreatNG complements and integrates with existing security tools to provide a more holistic approach to cybersecurity:

• Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): ThreatNG's findings can be ingested into SIEM systems to enrich internal security alerts with external threat intelligence, providing a more comprehensive view of potential threats.

• Vulnerability Management Tools: Integrating ThreatNG's data with vulnerability scanners allows organizations to correlate internal and external vulnerabilities, prioritizing remediation based on the highest-risk exposures.

• Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) Platforms: ThreatNG's insights into third-party software usage and security posture can be fed into TPRM platforms, enhancing vendor risk assessments and enabling data-driven decisions.

Example Workflow:

1. ThreatNG Discovery: ThreatNG scans the web and discovers an organization using an outdated CRM version with known vulnerabilities.

2. Vulnerability Scanner Correlation: The organization's vulnerability scanner identifies the same issue within its internal network.

3. SIEM Alert and Prioritization: Both findings are integrated into the SIEM, raising an alert and prioritizing it based on the combined internal and external risk assessment.

4. Remediation: The security team promptly updates the CRM to the latest version, mitigating the identified vulnerabilities.

Overall Benefits:

ThreatNG offers a range of benefits for organizations seeking to strengthen their cybersecurity posture regarding business software and operations technologies:

• Reduced Attack Surface: By identifying and addressing vulnerabilities in business software, organizations can minimize their attack surface and protect sensitive data.

• Proactive Risk Mitigation: ThreatNG's continuous monitoring and analysis allow for proactive risk identification and mitigation before attackers can exploit them.

• Improved Third-Party Risk Management: Organizations can gain greater visibility into the security practices of their vendors and partners, making informed decisions about their relationships.

• Enhanced Security Ratings: ThreatNG's insights contribute to a more accurate and comprehensive security rating, demonstrating a solid commitment to cybersecurity.

• Streamlined Incident Response: Integration with existing security tools allows for faster and more effective incident response, minimizing the impact of potential breaches.

By incorporating ThreatNG into their cybersecurity strategy, organizations can effectively manage the external risks associated with business software and operations technologies, ensuring their critical data and systems' confidentiality, integrity, and availability.