Continuous Asset Discovery
Continuous Asset Discovery in cybersecurity refers to the ongoing process of identifying and tracking all assets, both hardware and software, connected to an organization's network, including those exposed to the Internet. It is not a one-time event but rather a continuous process that ensures the organization has an up-to-date and accurate inventory of its IT assets at all times.
Importance of External/Internet Facing Environment
The external/internet-facing environment is particularly critical for asset discovery because it represents an organization's IT infrastructure's most dynamic and vulnerable part.
Dynamic Nature: The external environment is constantly changing, with new devices being added, configurations being modified, and services being deployed. Continuous discovery is crucial to tracking these changes and ensuring that the organization's security posture is not compromised.
Increased Attack Surface: The external environment is exposed to the Internet and is, therefore, more susceptible to attacks. Continuous discovery helps identify any new vulnerabilities or weaknesses that may have been introduced, allowing the organization to take proactive measures to protect itself.
Shadow IT: Employees may use unsanctioned cloud services or applications not managed by the IT department. Continuous discovery helps identify these shadow IT assets, which can pose a significant security risk if left unchecked.
Third-Party Risks: Organizations often rely on third-party vendors and partners who may have access to their systems or data. Continuous discovery helps identify and monitor these external connections to ensure they do not introduce vulnerabilities.
Continuous asset discovery is essential for maintaining a strong cybersecurity posture. It allows organizations to clearly understand their IT assets, identify potential vulnerabilities, and proactively mitigate risks. The external/internet-facing environment is particularly critical; it constantly changes and presents a larger attack surface. By focusing on continuous discovery in this environment, organizations can significantly improve their ability to protect themselves from cyber threats.
How ThreatNG Bolsters Continuous Asset Discovery
ThreatNG's advanced capabilities are ideally suited to support continuous asset discovery, especially in the dynamic and exposed external/internet-facing environment. Let's see how:
Comprehensive Discovery:
Domain Intelligence: Uncovers subdomains, associated IP addresses, and certificates, painting a complete picture of an organization's web presence. It helps detect forgotten or shadow IT assets that traditional asset management tools may overlook.
Cloud and SaaS Exposure: This provides visibility into cloud assets and potential data leakage points by identifying sanctioned and unsanctioned cloud services, exposed cloud storage, and SaaS applications in use.
Technology Stack Identification: This process maps out the technologies used by the organization, highlighting potential vulnerabilities associated with specific software or services.
Alerts: ThreatNG constantly scans for new assets, configuration changes, and emerging threats. Alerts notify security teams of discoveries or changes to the attack surface, enabling rapid response to potential risks.
Dark Web Monitoring: This track mentions the organization or its assets on the dark web, including leaked credentials or discussions about potential attacks. It provides early warning of potential threats and compromises.
Integration with Complementary Solutions:
CMDB/Asset Management: ThreatNG's findings can be seamlessly integrated with existing CMDB or asset management systems, enriching them with real-time data and ensuring that asset inventories are always up-to-date.
Vulnerability Management: Discovered assets and their vulnerabilities can be fed into vulnerability management tools, triggering automated scans and remediation workflows.
SIEM/SOAR: ThreatNG's alerts can be integrated with SIEM and SOAR platforms, enabling correlation with other security events and automated incident response actions.
Illustrative Examples:
Uncovering Shadow IT: ThreatNG's domain intelligence module discovers a forgotten subdomain hosting an outdated and vulnerable web application that must be tracked in the organization's asset inventory.
Detecting Cloud Misconfigurations: ThreatNG's cloud exposure module identifies an open Amazon S3 bucket containing sensitive customer data, highlighting a potential data breach risk.
Responding to Leaked Credentials: ThreatNG's dark web monitoring module detects employee credentials being sold on an underground forum, triggering immediate password resets and investigations.
Benefits:
Improved Asset Visibility: ThreatNG provides a comprehensive and up-to-date view of all assets, including those in the dynamic and exposed external environment.
Enhanced Risk Management: Continuous monitoring and assessment of assets enable proactive identification and mitigation of vulnerabilities.
Streamlined Security Operations: Integration with complementary solutions facilitates automated incident response and remediation workflows.
ThreatNG's capabilities make it an invaluable tool for organizations seeking to maintain continuous asset discovery and strengthen their cybersecurity posture in the face of an ever-evolving threat landscape. By proactively identifying and managing all assets, organizations can reduce their attack surface and protect themselves from cyberattacks.
