Data Breaches
In cybersecurity, a data breach is a security incident where sensitive, confidential, or protected data is accessed, disclosed, or stolen without authorization.
Here's a breakdown of key aspects:
Unauthorized Access: A data breach involves individuals or entities not authorized to view, handle, or use data gain access to it. This access can be intentional (e.g., hacking) or unintentional (e.g., accidental disclosure).
Types of Data Involved: Data breaches can involve various kinds of sensitive information, including:
Personally Identifiable Information (PII): This includes data that can identify an individual, such as names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth.
Financial data: This includes credit card numbers, bank account information, and other financial records.
Protected Health Information (PHI): This includes medical records and other health-related data.
Intellectual property: This includes trade secrets, patents, and other confidential business information.
Credentials: Usernames and passwords that provide access to systems and accounts.
Causes of Data Breaches: Data breaches can occur due to various factors, including:
Hacking: Attackers exploit vulnerabilities in systems or networks to gain unauthorized access.
Malware infections: Malicious software can be used to steal data or create backdoors for attackers.
Phishing: Attackers deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information.
Insider threats: Employees or individuals with authorized access misuse or steal data.
Accidental disclosure: Data is unintentionally exposed due to misconfigurations or human error.
Impact of Data Breaches: Data breaches can have significant consequences for individuals and organizations, including:
Financial losses: Costs associated with recovery, legal fees, and reputational damage.
Reputational damage: Customers, partners, and the public lose trust.
Legal and regulatory penalties: Fines and other penalties for non-compliance with data protection regulations.
Identity theft: Stolen personal information can be used for fraudulent activities.
Disruption of operations: Breaches can disrupt business operations and critical services.
ThreatNG's Role in Preventing Data Breaches
ThreatNG delivers capabilities that address various causes of data breaches, empowering organizations to reduce their risk proactively.
1. Causes of Data Breaches
Here's how ThreatNG helps concerning the causes of data breaches:
Hacking:
ThreatNG helps prevent hacking by providing surface management for external attacks.
By identifying vulnerabilities, exposed ports and services, and security misconfigurations, ThreatNG enables organizations to harden their systems and reduce the attack vectors that hackers could exploit to gain unauthorized access.
For example, ThreatNG's Cyber Risk Exposure assessment and vulnerability detection capabilities directly contribute to preventing hacking attempts.
Malware Infections:
ThreatNG helps organizations reduce the risk of malware infections by identifying potential entry points and vulnerabilities that malware could use.
By discovering exposed services and potential software weaknesses, ThreatNG enables organizations to take steps to secure those areas and decrease the likelihood of malware gaining a foothold.
Phishing:
ThreatNG is key in mitigating phishing attacks, a common cause of data breaches.
ThreatNG assesses BEC & Phishing Susceptibility, providing organizations with insights into their vulnerability to phishing campaigns.
This empowers organizations to take preventive measures, such as strengthening email security and providing security awareness training, to reduce the risk of attackers obtaining credentials or tricking users into revealing sensitive information.
Insider Threats:
ThreatNG provides value in the context of insider threats.
For example, ThreatNG monitors code repositories for exposed credentials, helping organizations detect and remediate potential sources of credential leakage that malicious insiders could exploit.
Accidental Disclosure:
ThreatNG helps prevent accidental disclosures by identifying potential exposures of sensitive data.
For example, by discovering open cloud buckets or misconfigured services, ThreatNG alerts organizations to areas where data might be unintentionally exposed.
How ThreatNG Helps - Highlighting Key Capabilities
External Discovery: ThreatNG's external discovery is essential for identifying potential entry points and vulnerabilities that could be exploited in data breaches.
External Assessment: ThreatNG's assessments directly address factors that contribute to data breaches:
It assesses BEC & Phishing Susceptibility.
It monitors for compromised credentials.
It discovers code secret exposures.
It evaluates cloud and SaaS exposure.
Reporting: ThreatNG provides reports highlighting vulnerabilities, exposures, and other risks that could lead to data breaches.
Continuous Monitoring: ThreatNG's continuous monitoring helps update software of emerging threats and new vulnerabilities that could increase the risk of a data breach.
Investigation Modules: ThreatNG's investigation modules provide detailed information that is valuable for preventing data breaches:
Domain Intelligence aids in understanding and mitigating phishing risks.
Sensitive Code Exposure helps discover exposed credentials and other sensitive information.
Intelligence Repositories: ThreatNG uses intelligence repositories that include dark web data, compromised credentials, and known vulnerabilities, all critical for preventing data breaches.
Working with Complementary Solutions: ThreatNG works with other security solutions to provide a more comprehensive defense against data breaches:
SIEM Systems: ThreatNG provides data on vulnerabilities, exposed credentials, and phishing activity to SIEM systems for centralized analysis and alerting.
Vulnerability Management Tools: ThreatNG's vulnerability findings integrate with vulnerability management tools to prioritize patching efforts and reduce the risk of exploitation.
