ThreatNG Security

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Deep EASM

Deep EASM (External Attack Surface Management) is a comprehensive and advanced approach to identifying and managing an organization's internet-facing assets and vulnerabilities. It goes beyond essential EASM solutions by incorporating additional capabilities and techniques to provide a more in-depth and proactive security posture.

Here's a breakdown of what Deep EASM entails:

Key Features and Capabilities:

  • Continuous and Extensive Discovery: Deep EASM solutions employ advanced techniques like web crawling, DNS enumeration, and even analysis of dark web data to uncover all internet-facing assets, including unknown or forgotten ones. This continuous discovery ensures the organization has a complete and up-to-date view of its attack surface.

  • Proactive Vulnerability Assessment: Deep EASM not only identifies known vulnerabilities but also proactively searches for potential weaknesses and misconfigurations that attackers could exploit. It includes things like exposed credentials, outdated software, and insecure configurations in cloud services.

  • Threat Intelligence Integration: Deep EASM solutions integrate threat intelligence feeds to provide context and prioritize vulnerabilities based on the current threat landscape. It helps organizations focus their remediation efforts on the most critical risks.

  • Attack Path Analysis: Deep EASM goes beyond simply identifying individual vulnerabilities by analyzing how those vulnerabilities could be chained together in an attack path. It helps organizations understand how attackers might move laterally within their network and take steps to disrupt those paths.

  • Automated Remediation: Deep EASM solutions often include automation capabilities to help streamline the remediation process. These can include automatically patching vulnerabilities, reconfiguring cloud services, or taking down exposed systems.

  • Continuous Monitoring: Deep EASM continuously monitors the external attack surface to detect any changes or new threats that may emerge. It ensures that the organization can respond quickly to any new risks.

Benefits of Deep EASM:

  • Reduced Attack Surface: By identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities, Deep EASM helps organizations reduce their overall attack surface, making it more difficult for attackers to succeed.

  • Improved Security Posture: Deep EASM provides a more proactive and comprehensive approach to security, helping organizations stay ahead of emerging threats.

  • Faster Incident Response: Deep EASM helps organizations respond more quickly and effectively to security incidents by providing context and prioritizing vulnerabilities.

  • Increased Visibility: Deep EASM gives organizations an up-to-date view of their external attack surface, including unknown or forgotten assets.

  • Improved Compliance: Deep EASM can help organizations meet regulatory compliance requirements by providing evidence of their security controls and vulnerability management efforts.

Deep EASM is an advanced approach to external attack surface management that provides organizations with a more comprehensive and proactive security posture. By incorporating continuous discovery, proactive vulnerability assessment, threat intelligence integration, attack path analysis, automated remediation, and constant monitoring, Deep EASM helps organizations reduce their attack surface, improve their security posture, and respond quickly to security incidents.

ThreatNG, with its comprehensive suite of features, seems well-equipped to address the core components of Deep EASM and enhance its capabilities. Let's break down how:

1. Deep EASM Capabilities:

  • Continuous and Extensive Discovery: Its Domain Intelligence module, combined with Dark Web Presence analysis and Social Media monitoring, provides a wide net for discovering known and unknown assets. Features like DNS Intelligence, Subdomain Intelligence, and Certificate Intelligence help comprehensively map the organization's digital footprint. It goes beyond fundamental surface-level discovery by delving into exposed APIs, development environments, and even VPNs, giving a "deep" view of the attack surface.

  • Proactive Vulnerability Assessment: ThreatNG shines in this area. Its assessment capabilities go beyond simply identifying known CVEs. It proactively uncovers potential weaknesses and misconfigurations by analyzing BEC and phishing Susceptibility, Breach and ransomware Susceptibility, Web Application Hijack Susceptibility, and more. The Search Engine Exploitation module further strengthens this by identifying exposed sensitive information, susceptible files/servers, and potential exploits lurking in public search results.

  • Threat Intelligence Integration: ThreatNG boasts extensive intelligence repositories, including dark web data, compromised credentials, and ransomware event tracking. This allows for contextualizing vulnerabilities and prioritizing remediation based on active threats and attacker tactics.

  • Attack Path Analysis: While not explicitly stated, ThreatNG's combined capabilities could contribute to attack path analysis. By correlating data from various modules (e.g., exposed APIs, sensitive code exposure, cloud exposures), security teams can map out how vulnerabilities might be chained together in an attack.

  • Automated Remediation: The platform's rich data and insights can significantly inform and accelerate remediation efforts.

  • Continuous Monitoring: ThreatNG emphasizes continuous monitoring across its modules, ensuring that changes to the attack surface and new threats are identified promptly.

2. Complementary Solutions:

ThreatNG, while robust, can be further enhanced by integrating with complementary solutions:

  • Vulnerability Scanners: While ThreatNG identifies potential vulnerabilities, integrating with traditional vulnerability scanners (e.g., Qualys, Nessus) can provide deeper technical analysis and validation.

  • Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): Feeding ThreatNG's findings into a SIEM can correlate external threats with internal security events, providing a holistic view of organizational risk.

  • Penetration Testing Tools: ThreatNG's data can inform and guide penetration testing efforts, allowing security professionals to focus on high-risk areas identified by the platform.

3. Examples with Investigation Modules:

  • Scenario: ThreatNG's Domain Intelligence module identifies an unknown subdomain pointing to a development server with default credentials. The Sensitive Code Exposure module reveals that this server hosts code repositories with exposed API keys. Further investigation using the Cloud and SaaS Exposure module shows an open AWS S3 bucket associated with the same subdomain.

    • Action: This combined information allows the security team to immediately secure the development server, revoke the exposed API keys, and secure the S3 bucket, preventing a potential data breach.

  • Scenario: The Sentiment and Financials module detects chatter on social media about a potential layoff at the organization. Simultaneously, the Dark Web Presence module identifies compromised credentials associated with employees in the targeted department.

    • Action: This correlation allows the security team to proactively monitor for insider threats, potentially stemming from disgruntled employees accessing sensitive data.

ThreatNG provides a strong foundation for Deep EASM by combining extensive discovery, proactive vulnerability assessment, and threat intelligence. Its diverse investigation modules offer a comprehensive view of the external attack surface and potential risks. By integrating with complementary solutions and effectively utilizing ThreatNG's capabilities, organizations can significantly enhance their security posture and proactively mitigate threats.