Hybrid Environments
Hybrid environments in cybersecurity refer to IT infrastructures that combine different deployment models. These typically include a mix of on-premises infrastructure, private cloud, and public cloud services (like AWS, Azure, or GCP). This creates a complex environment where assets and data reside in various locations and are accessed by users and applications across different networks.
Key characteristics of hybrid environments include:
Diverse infrastructure: A combination of on-premises servers, virtual machines, containers, and cloud services.
Distributed data: Data stored across on-premises data centers, private clouds, and public clouds.
Complex access control: Managing access for users and applications across different environments with varying security policies and controls.
Increased attack surface: Combining different environments expands the attack surface, creating more potential entry points for attackers.
Security challenges: Maintaining consistent security policies and controls across different environments can be challenging, increasing the risk of vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.
Hybrid environments are becoming increasingly common as organizations adopt cloud services while maintaining some on-premises infrastructure.This requires a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that addresses the unique challenges of managing and securing these complex environments.
ThreatNG can be a valuable solution for organizations with hybrid environments, helping them gain visibility into their external attack surface and manage the associated risks. Here's how ThreatNG's features can help secure hybrid environments:
ThreatNG's external discovery capabilities are crucial for identifying and cataloging all internet-facing assets, regardless of where they reside - on-premises, private cloud, or public cloud. This comprehensive inventory of assets forms the foundation for securing hybrid environments.
ThreatNG's external assessment capabilities help identify vulnerabilities in these internet-facing assets, regardless of location. Its various security ratings evaluate susceptibility to different attack vectors, such as:
Web Application Hijack Susceptibility: This rating analyzes the external components of web applications to identify potential weaknesses that attackers could exploit to take control, regardless of whether the application is hosted on-premises or in the cloud.
Subdomain Takeover Susceptibility: This rating assesses the risk of attackers taking over unused or improperly configured subdomains, which could be associated with any part of the hybrid environment.
Data Leak Susceptibility: This rating evaluates the likelihood of sensitive data being exposed through various channels, such as cloud misconfigurations or dark web leaks, regardless of where the data is stored.
Cyber Risk Exposure: This rating considers various factors, including exposed sensitive ports, known vulnerabilities, and code secret exposure, to determine the overall cyber risk exposure of an organization's hybrid environment.
ThreatNG's continuous monitoring capabilities ensure that the risk assessment and threat intelligence remain up-to-date by continuously scanning for new threats, vulnerabilities, and changes in the organization's external attack surface across all environments.
ThreatNG's investigation modules enable deep dives into specific assets or areas of concern to gather more detailed information for risk analysis. For example:
Domain Intelligence: This module provides detailed information about domain names, subdomains, and associated technologies, helping identify potential entry points for attackers regardless of where the assets are hosted.
Sensitive Code Exposure: This module scans public code repositories for sensitive information that could be exploited by attackers, such as API keys, access tokens, and database credentials, regardless of the environment where the code is used.
Cloud and SaaS Exposure: This module identifies the organization's cloud services and SaaS applications, helping assess the risk of attackers exploiting misconfigurations or vulnerabilities in these services across different cloud providers.
ThreatNG's intelligence repositories provide valuable information about potential threats and vulnerabilities affecting any part of the hybrid environment. This information includes data on:
Dark web activities: ThreatNG scans the dark web for mentions of the organization, its assets, or its employees, helping identify potential data leaks, compromised credentials, or planned attacks targeting any part of the hybrid environment.
Ransomware events and groups: ThreatNG tracks ransomware events and groups, providing insights into current attack trends and potential threats to the organization's infrastructure.
Known vulnerabilities: ThreatNG maintains a database of known vulnerabilities, helping organizations assess the likelihood of attackers exploiting specific weaknesses in their assets across all environments.
Working with Complementary Solutions
ThreatNG can integrate with other security solutions to enhance visibility and security across hybrid environments. For example, ThreatNG can complement:
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) Tools: ThreatNG can complement CSPM tools by providing visibility into cloud assets and their security configurations from an external perspective, helping identify and address misconfigurations or vulnerabilities across different cloud providers.
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Systems: ThreatNG can feed its findings into SIEM systems to provide a broader view of security events across the hybrid environment, enabling more effective threat detection and response.
Vulnerability Scanners: ThreatNG can provide external context and threat intelligence to help prioritize vulnerabilities identified by scanners across different environments.
Examples of ThreatNG Helping in Hybrid Environments
Identifying a Misconfigured Cloud Storage Bucket: ThreatNG's Cloud and SaaS Exposure module could identify a cloud storage bucket hosted on a public cloud platform that is misconfigured and publicly accessible. This allows the organization to remediate the misconfiguration and protect sensitive data stored in the bucket, regardless of its location in the hybrid environment.
Detecting a Vulnerable On-Premises Web Server: ThreatNG's Web Application Hijack Susceptibility rating could identify a vulnerable web server hosted on-premises. This allows the organization to patch the server and implement additional security measures to protect it from external attacks.
Uncovering a Subdomain Takeover Risk in a Private Cloud: ThreatNG's Subdomain Takeover Susceptibility rating could identify a vulnerable subdomain associated with a private cloud environment. This allows the organization to reclaim or secure the subdomain before attackers can exploit it.
By combining its powerful external discovery, assessment, and monitoring capabilities with comprehensive threat intelligence and investigation modules, ThreatNG provides a valuable toolset for securing hybrid environments. This enables organizations to gain visibility into their entire external attack surface, identify and address vulnerabilities across different environments, and proactively defend against evolving threats.
