External Attack Surface Assessment
In cybersecurity, an External Attack Surface Assessment is a process that focuses on identifying and analyzing the vulnerabilities and potential entry points in an organization's internet-facing systems and assets. It aims to provide a comprehensive view of all the possible ways an attacker could penetrate the organization's defenses from the outside.
Here's a breakdown of what it entails:
1. Identifying External Assets: This involves discovering all the systems and applications directly accessible from the internet. This includes:
Websites and web applications: These are often the most visible and frequently targeted assets.
Public IP addresses: These are the addresses that devices use to communicate over the internet.
Email servers: These handle the organization's email traffic and can be a target for phishing attacks.
DNS servers: These translate domain names into IP addresses and, if compromised, can redirect users to malicious sites.
Firewalls and routers: These are the first line of defense against external attacks, but misconfigurations can create vulnerabilities.
Cloud-based services: Many organizations use cloud services for storage, computing, and applications, which can also have vulnerabilities.
VPN gateways allow remote users to connect to the organization's network, but if compromised, can provide attackers with access.
2. Analyzing Vulnerabilities: Once the external assets are identified, the assessment focuses on finding potential weaknesses that attackers could exploit. This includes:
Outdated software: Older versions of software may have known vulnerabilities that attackers can use.
Misconfigurations: Incorrect settings in systems or applications can create security gaps.
Open ports: Unnecessary open ports can provide attackers with entry points.
Weak passwords: Easy-to-guess passwords can be cracked by attackers.
Lack of encryption: Attackers can intercept and read Data transmitted without encryption.
Vulnerabilities in third-party software: If the organization uses third-party software, vulnerabilities can also be exploited.
3. Prioritizing Risks: Not all vulnerabilities are created equal. Some pose a greater risk than others. The assessment helps to prioritize risks based on factors such as:
Severity of the vulnerability: Some vulnerabilities are more dangerous than others.
Likelihood of exploitation: Some vulnerabilities are more manageable for attackers to exploit than others.
Potential impact: The potential damage that an attacker could cause if they exploited the vulnerability.
4. Providing Recommendations: Based on the assessment, the organization receives recommendations for addressing the identified vulnerabilities and improving its overall security posture. This may include:
Patching software: Updating software to the latest versions to fix known vulnerabilities.
Changing configurations: Correcting misconfigurations in systems or applications.
Closing unnecessary ports: Reducing the number of potential entry points for attackers.
Strengthening passwords: Enforcing strong password policies.
Implementing encryption: Protecting data transmitted over the internet.
Using firewalls and intrusion detection systems: To block or detect malicious traffic.
Benefits of External Attack Surface Assessment:
Proactive security: Helps to identify and address vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.
Reduced risk: Lowers the risk of cyberattacks and data breaches.
Improved security posture: Strengthens the organization's overall security defenses.
Compliance: Helps to meet regulatory requirements for security.
External Attack Surface Assessment is crucial to any organization's cybersecurity strategy. It provides a comprehensive view of the organization's external attack surface, identifies potential vulnerabilities, and offers recommendations for improving security.
ThreatNG can significantly help with External Attack Surface Assessment by offering a comprehensive suite of capabilities that cover discovery, assessment, reporting, continuous monitoring, and investigation. It also provides access to extensive intelligence repositories and can seamlessly integrate with complementary solutions to enhance security posture.
External Discovery and Assessment:
ThreatNG excels at external discovery by performing unauthenticated discovery without relying on any internal connectors. This means it can identify and assess all internet-facing assets, including unknown or forgotten ones, providing a complete picture of the external attack surface.
The platform shines in external assessment by offering a wide range of security ratings that evaluate various aspects of the attack surface.
Web Application Hijack Susceptibility: This rating analyzes the externally accessible parts of web applications to identify potential entry points for attackers. For example, it can detect vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting (XSS) or SQL injection that could allow an attacker to take control of the application.
Subdomain Takeover Susceptibility: This rating assesses the risk of subdomain takeover by analyzing DNS records, SSL certificates, and other relevant factors. For instance, it can identify expired or misconfigured subdomains that attackers could claim and use for malicious purposes.
BEC & Phishing Susceptibility: This rating evaluates the likelihood of Business Email Compromise (BEC) and phishing attacks by considering factors like domain reputation, dark web presence, and financial health. For example, it can detect if the organization's domain or brand is being impersonated in phishing emails or on fake websites.
Brand Damage Susceptibility: This rating assesses the risk of brand damage by analyzing various factors like downbeat news, social media sentiment, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) violations. For instance, it can detect if the organization is involved in controversies or scandals that could harm its reputation.
Data Leak Susceptibility: This rating evaluates the risk of data leaks by considering factors like cloud security, dark web presence, and financial health. For example, it can detect if sensitive data is exposed in misconfigured cloud storage or if employee credentials have been compromised and are available on the dark web.
Cyber Risk Exposure: This rating assesses the overall cyber risk by considering factors like exposed ports, known vulnerabilities, and code security. For instance, it can detect if the organization uses outdated software with known vulnerabilities or if sensitive information is exposed in code repositories.
ESG Exposure: This rating evaluates the risk of ESG-related issues by analyzing media coverage, financial data, and public information. For example, it can detect if the organization is involved in environmental damage, labor disputes, or unethical business practices.
Supply Chain & Third-Party Exposure: This rating assesses the risk associated with the organization's supply chain and third-party relationships. For instance, it can detect if any of the organization's vendors or partners have poor security practices or have been involved in data breaches.
Breach & Ransomware Susceptibility: This rating evaluates the likelihood of a data breach or ransomware attack by considering factors like domain security, dark web presence, and financial health. For example, it can detect if the organization has known vulnerabilities commonly exploited in ransomware attacks or if its data has been sold on the dark web.
Reporting, Continuous Monitoring, and Investigation:
ThreatNG offers various reporting options, including executive summaries, technical reports, and prioritized vulnerability lists. These reports help organizations understand their security posture and prioritize remediation efforts.
The platform continuously monitors the external attack surface, digital risk, and security ratings. This allows organizations to stay ahead of emerging threats and proactively address vulnerabilities.
ThreatNG's investigation modules offer deep insights into various aspects of the attack surface.
Domain Intelligence: This module provides comprehensive information about the organization's domain, including DNS records, email security, and subdomain analysis. It can detect suspicious domain activity, identify potential subdomain takeover targets, and analyze email security configurations for weaknesses.
IP Intelligence: This module analyzes IP addresses associated with the organization, identifying shared IPs, ASNs, and potential vulnerabilities.
Certificate Intelligence: This module assesses the security of TLS certificates, identifying expired or misconfigured certificates that could expose the organization to attacks.
Social Media: This module monitors social media for mentions of the organization, identifying potential brand damage or social engineering attempts.
Sensitive Code Exposure: This module scans code repositories for sensitive information like API keys or credentials that attackers could exploit.
Search Engine Exploitation: This module analyzes the organization's presence on search engines, identifying potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited through search engine results.
Cloud and SaaS Exposure: This module assesses the security of cloud and SaaS services used by the organization, identifying misconfigurations or vulnerabilities that could lead to data breaches.
Online Sharing Exposure: This module scans online code-sharing platforms for sensitive information about the organization.
Sentiment and Financials: This module analyzes financial data and news sentiment to identify potential risks to the organization's reputation or economic stability.
Archived Web Pages: This module analyzes archived web pages for potential vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive information.
Dark Web Presence: This module monitors the dark web for mentions of the organization, identifying potential data leaks or cyber threats.
Technology Stack: This module identifies the technologies the organization uses, helping assess the risk associated with specific technologies or versions.
Intelligence Repositories and Complementary Solutions:
ThreatNG provides access to various intelligence repositories, including dark web data, compromised credentials, ransomware events, and known vulnerabilities. This information helps organizations stay informed about the latest threats and proactively defend against them.
The platform can work with complementary solutions like vulnerability scanners, security information and event management (SIEM) systems, and threat intelligence platforms. This allows organizations to integrate ThreatNG into their security ecosystem and enhance their overall security posture.
Examples of ThreatNG Helping and Working with Complementary Solutions:
ThreatNG can identify a misconfigured AWS S3 bucket containing sensitive data, and the organization can use a vulnerability scanner to confirm the vulnerability and remediate it.
ThreatNG can detect that employee credentials have been compromised and are available on the dark web. The organization can use its SIEM system to identify affected accounts and reset passwords.
ThreatNG can identify a vulnerability in third-party software used by the organization, and the organization can use a threat intelligence platform to gather more information about the vulnerability and potential mitigation strategies.
By combining its capabilities with the strengths of complementary solutions, ThreatNG provides a robust and comprehensive approach to External Attack Surface Management. This helps organizations proactively identify and address vulnerabilities, reduce cyber risk, and protect critical assets.
