Extended Attack Surface
In cybersecurity, the extended attack surface refers to the ever-expanding collection of potential vulnerabilities and entry points that attackers could exploit to compromise an organization's systems and data. It includes the traditional IT infrastructure and the growing number of interconnected devices, cloud services, remote work environments, and third-party integrations that organizations rely on.
Here are some key aspects of the extended attack surface:
Digital transformation: The shift towards cloud computing, mobile devices, and IoT has increased the number of potential attack vectors.
Remote work: The rise of remote work has blurred the traditional network perimeter, making it harder to secure endpoints and user access.
Third-party ecosystems: Organizations increasingly rely on third-party vendors and partners, which can introduce new vulnerabilities and risks.
Shadow IT: Unauthorized or unmanaged IT systems and applications can create blind spots in an organization's security posture.
Managing the extended attack surface requires a comprehensive approach that includes:
Visibility: Identifying and mapping all internal and external assets that could be exposed to attackers.
Continuous monitoring: Regularly scan for vulnerabilities and misconfigurations across the attack surface.
Risk prioritization: Focusing on the most critical vulnerabilities and prioritizing remediation efforts.
Collaboration: Working with third-party vendors and partners to ensure their security practices are aligned with the organization's.
By effectively managing their extended attack surface, organizations can reduce their risk of cyberattacks and protect their valuable assets.
ThreatNG is a comprehensive suite of tools designed to provide organizations with a robust defense mechanism against the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats. Its capabilities in external discovery, assessment, continuous monitoring, investigation, and threat intelligence, combined with its ability to integrate with complementary solutions, make it an invaluable asset in managing and mitigating the extended attack surface.
External Discovery and Assessment
ThreatNG identifies and evaluates vulnerabilities across the digital landscape without relying on internal access or credentials. This is particularly critical in today's environment, where organizations have assets scattered across various cloud services, third-party platforms, and remote endpoints.
Domain Intelligence: ThreatNG performs deep dives into an organization's domain and subdomains, analyzing DNS records, SSL certificates, and other critical components. This helps uncover vulnerabilities like subdomain takeover susceptibility, where attackers can hijack expired or misconfigured subdomains to host malicious content. It also assesses the susceptibility to Business Email Compromise (BEC) and phishing attacks by analyzing email security configurations and identifying potential vulnerabilities attackers could exploit to spoof emails or deliver malicious payloads.
Cloud and SaaS Exposure: ThreatNG identifies and assesses the security posture of cloud services and applications the organization uses, including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and various SaaS providers like Salesforce, Slack, and Okta. This helps pinpoint misconfigurations, excessive permissions, and shadow IT risks, often overlooked in traditional security assessments.
Sensitive Code Exposure: ThreatNG scours public code repositories like GitHub for exposed credentials, API keys, and other sensitive information that could be exploited to gain unauthorized access to systems or data. This is particularly crucial as developers often inadvertently commit sensitive information to public repositories, creating a significant attack vector.
Dark Web Presence: ThreatNG continuously monitors the dark web for mentions of the organization, its employees, or its assets, as well as any leaked credentials or planned attacks. This proactive approach helps organizations avoid potential threats and take preemptive measures to mitigate risks.
Continuous Monitoring and Reporting
ThreatNG continuously monitors the external attack surface, digital risk, and security ratings, enabling organizations to maintain a proactive security posture. Its reporting capabilities offer various perspectives, from executive summaries to technical deep dives, allowing stakeholders across the organization to understand and address security risks.
ThreatNG's investigation modules provide in-depth analysis and context around identified threats. For example, the "Domain Intelligence" module offers a comprehensive view of an organization's domain, subdomains, DNS records, email configurations, and associated technologies. This granular level of detail helps security teams understand the potential attack vectors and prioritize remediation efforts.
The "Sensitive Code Exposure" module goes beyond simply identifying exposed credentials. It provides detailed information about the type of credentials exposed, the location where they were found, and the potential impact of their compromise. This enables security teams to quickly assess the severity of the exposure and take appropriate action.
ThreatNG leverages a wealth of intelligence repositories to provide context and enrich its findings. These repositories include information on dark web activities, compromised credentials, ransomware events, known vulnerabilities, and ESG violations. This rich data set helps organizations understand the broader threat landscape and make informed decisions about their security posture.
Working with Complementary Solutions
ThreatNG is designed to integrate with existing security tools and workflows. For example, it can complement a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system by providing external threat intelligence that can be correlated with internal security logs to identify and respond to attacks more effectively.
ThreatNG can also integrate with vulnerability scanners to provide a more comprehensive view of an organization's security posture. By combining external threat intelligence with internal vulnerability scans, organizations can prioritize remediation efforts based on a successful attack's likelihood and potential impact.
Examples of ThreatNG in Action
ThreatNG could identify a misconfigured subdomain vulnerable to takeover, allowing the organization to rectify the issue before attackers can exploit it.
ThreatNG could discover leaked credentials on the dark web, enabling the organization to reset passwords and prevent unauthorized access.
ThreatNG could identify a vulnerable third-party component in the organization's web application, prompting the organization to update the component or implement compensating controls.
By providing comprehensive visibility, continuous monitoring, and actionable insights, ThreatNG empowers organizations to proactively manage their extended attack surface and stay ahead of the evolving threat landscape.
