External Recon
External Reconnaissance (or "External Recon") in cybersecurity is the set of techniques an attacker (or a security tester acting as an attacker) employs to gather information about a target organization's systems, network, and personnel from a position outside the organization's network perimeter.
Here's a breakdown of the key aspects:
Outside Perspective: External recon operates without inside access, privileges, or credentials. It mirrors the actions of an attacker probing from the internet.
Information Gathering: The goal is to amass as much publicly available information as possible to inform potential attacks or security assessments. This includes:
Network infrastructure data (e.g., IP addresses, DNS records, domain names)
Publicly accessible systems and services (e.g., web servers, email servers, open ports)
Technologies in use (e.g., software versions, operating systems)
Organizational details (e.g., employee information, contact details, physical locations)
Active and Passive Techniques: Recon involves a mix of:
Passive Recon: Gathering information without direct interaction with the target. Examples: searching public websites, social media, WHOIS records, and search engine caches.
Active Recon: Involves direct interaction with the target's systems to elicit responses. Examples: network scanning, port scanning, and banner grabbing.
Objectives: External recon serves several purposes:
Attackers: To identify vulnerabilities, map attack vectors, and plan exploits.
Security Professionals: To assess an organization's security posture from an attacker's viewpoint, identify potential weaknesses, and improve defenses.
ThreatNG is an all-in-one platform integrating external attack surface management, digital risk protection, and security ratings. Its core strength in this context is its emphasis on purely external, unauthenticated discovery. This capability is fundamental to external reconnaissance as it allows ThreatNG to gather information about a target organization's digital footprint from the perspective of an outside observer.
Here's a breakdown of how ThreatNG's features support external reconnaissance:
ThreatNG's external discovery capabilities are designed to identify an organization's internet-facing assets. This process is the foundation of external reconnaissance, establishing the scope of what an attacker might see. ThreatNG discovers various assets, including:
Websites and web applications
Domains and subdomains
Servers
Cloud services and SaaS solutions
Mobile apps
ThreatNG performs a range of external assessments that provide valuable information for reconnaissance:
Domain Intelligence: This module offers in-depth information about an organization's domain infrastructure, a key reconnaissance target. It includes:
DNS Intelligence: Analyzing DNS records to identify mail servers, subdomains, and potential vulnerabilities.
Subdomain Intelligence: Enumerating subdomains to map out web presence and identify potential attack surfaces.
Email Intelligence: Gathering information about email security configurations (SPF, DMARC) to assess phishing susceptibility.
Technology Stack: ThreatNG identifies the technologies used by web servers and applications, which can reveal known vulnerabilities.
Vulnerability Scanning: ThreatNG assesses external assets for vulnerabilities, mimicking an attacker's probing for weaknesses.
Cloud and SaaS Exposure: ThreatNG identifies cloud services and SaaS solutions in use, which can reveal potential misconfigurations or data exposure.
Mobile App Exposure: ThreatNG analyzes mobile apps for sensitive information and security flaws.
Search Engine Exploitation: ThreatNG helps identify information that an organization unintentionally exposes through search engines.
3. Reporting
ThreatNG's reporting capabilities are crucial for organizing and presenting the information gathered during reconnaissance. Reports can be tailored to provide different levels of detail and focus on specific areas of interest.
ThreatNG's continuous monitoring feature ensures that reconnaissance information remains up-to-date. The external attack surface is dynamic, so continuous monitoring is essential for detecting changes that could introduce new vulnerabilities.
5. Investigation Modules
ThreatNG's investigation modules provide detailed information and tools for specific reconnaissance tasks:
Domain Intelligence Module: As detailed above, this module is essential for domain-focused reconnaissance.
IP Intelligence Module: Provides information about IP addresses and network infrastructure.
Code Repository Exposure: Discovers public code repositories and identifies exposed secrets.
Social Media: Monitors social media for information related to the organization.
ThreatNG's intelligence repositories provide contextual information that enhances reconnaissance:
Dark Web Data: Can reveal compromised credentials or discussions of potential attacks.
Known Vulnerabilities: Helps prioritize discovered vulnerabilities based on their severity and exploitability.
How ThreatNG Helps with External Reconnaissance
ThreatNG automates and consolidates many external reconnaissance tasks, providing a single platform to:
Discover and map external assets
Gather detailed information about those assets
Identify potential vulnerabilities and attack vectors
Monitor the external attack surface for changes
How ThreatNG Works with Complementary Solutions
ThreatNG can also work alongside other security tools to enhance reconnaissance and overall security:
SIEM: ThreatNG data can enrich SIEM events with external context.
Vulnerability Management Tools: ThreatNG's external vulnerability scans complement internal vulnerability assessments.
SOAR: ThreatNG can trigger automated responses in SOAR platforms based on reconnaissance findings.
