In cybersecurity, Domain Discovery refers to identifying and inventorying all internet domains (e.g., websites, subdomains) associated with an organization, its subsidiaries, and third-party partners. It includes registered and unregistered domains and any domains that malicious actors may use to impersonate or target the organization.

Why is Domain Discovery important?

• Attack surface management: By understanding the full extent of their internet-facing assets, organizations can better identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit.

• Brand protection: Domain discovery helps organizations identify fraudulent or malicious websites that use their brands or trademarks to deceive customers or spread malware.

• Security monitoring: Once all relevant domains are identified, organizations can set up monitoring and alerting systems to detect suspicious activity or changes that may indicate a compromise.

• Cyber threat intelligence: Domain discovery data can inform threat intelligence efforts, providing insights into attackers' tactics and techniques to target specific industries or organizations.

Domain discovery is typically conducted using automated tools and manual research. These tools may leverage various techniques, such as DNS zone transfers, web crawling, and certificate transparency logs, to identify domains associated with a given organization. Manual research may involve searching for mentions of the organization on social media, forums, and other online sources.

ThreatNG's Domain Intelligence Investigation Module, part of its comprehensive External Attack Surface Management (EASM) solution, is a powerful solution for domain discovery. It employs a multifaceted approach to uncovering and analyzing an organization's internet-facing assets, helping security teams gain a complete understanding of their attack surface.

How ThreatNG Helps with Domain Discovery:

1. DNS Intelligence: ThreatNG conducts extensive DNS reconnaissance, identifying all registered domains and subdomains associated with an organization. It goes beyond surface-level scans by examining DNS records, zone transfers, and passive DNS data to uncover hidden assets and potential misconfigurations.

2. Domain Name Permutations: ThreatNG generates a list of potential domain name permutations (e.g., typosquatting variations, common misspellings) and checks availability. It helps identify domains malicious actors could register to impersonate the organization or launch phishing attacks.

3. Subdomain Intelligence: The module thoroughly scans for subdomains, including those created by third-party services or forgotten projects. It analyzes subdomain structures and identifies potential vulnerabilities, such as subdomain takeovers.

4. Certificate Intelligence: ThreatNG examines SSL/TLS certificates associated with domains and subdomains, looking for expired certificates, weak encryption algorithms, or misconfigurations that could expose sensitive data.

5. IP Intelligence: By mapping IP addresses to domains and subdomains, ThreatNG can identify shared hosting environments or suspicious IP ranges that may pose a risk.

6. Exposed Asset Discovery: The module scans for exposed assets such as web servers, development environments, VPN endpoints, and APIs that attackers could exploit.

7. Vulnerability Scanning: ThreatNG assesses discovered domains and subdomains for known vulnerabilities, such as outdated software, misconfigurations, or insecure protocols.  

Complementary Solutions and Workflow Example:

ThreatNG's Domain Intelligence module can be integrated with other security solutions to enhance its capabilities. For example, it can be combined with a web application firewall (WAF) to protect against attacks targeting discovered web applications.

Workflow Example:

1. Domain Discovery: ThreatNG identifies all domains and subdomains associated with the organization.

2. Vulnerability Assessment: Discovered assets are scanned for vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.

3. Prioritization: Security teams prioritize critical vulnerabilities for remediation.

4. Remediation: Identified issues are addressed, such as patching software, updating configurations, or removing exposed assets.

5. Continuous Monitoring: ThreatNG monitors the organization's domain landscape for new assets, changes, and emerging threats.

Benefits of ThreatNG's Domain Discovery:

• Comprehensive Visibility: Provides a complete view of an organization's internet-facing assets, including hidden or forgotten domains and subdomains.

• Proactive Security: Helps identify and address vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.

• Brand Protection: Identifies potential phishing domains and protects against brand impersonation.

• Risk Reduction: Enables informed decision-making about risk mitigation strategies by prioritizing critical vulnerabilities.

• Continuous Monitoring: Ensures ongoing awareness of changes in the domain landscape and potential new threats.

By incorporating ThreatNG's Domain Intelligence module into their cybersecurity strategy, organizations can effectively manage their attack surface, reduce the risk of compromise, and protect their brand and reputation.