Identity Intelligence (I2)
In the context of cybersecurity, Identity Intelligence (I2) refers to the collection, analysis, and utilization of data related to digital identities to enhance security measures and mitigate risks. It encompasses various techniques and technologies for verifying, authenticating, and authorizing individuals or entities accessing systems, applications, or data.
Here are some critical aspects of I2 in cybersecurity:
Identity Verification: I2 aims to confirm that individuals or entities are who they claim to be. It involves validating identity attributes like usernames, passwords, biometrics, or other forms of identification.
Authentication: Once identity is verified, I2 ensures that individuals or entities can access specific resources or perform certain actions. It may involve multi-factor authentication, access controls, or other security mechanisms.
Threat Detection and Prevention: I2 analyzes user behavior patterns and anomalies to identify potential security threats or breaches. By monitoring access attempts, login locations, or unusual activity, I2 can help prevent unauthorized access or malicious activities.
Risk Management: I2 enables organizations to assess and manage risks associated with different identities or user groups. It helps implement appropriate security measures based on the risk associated with specific users or access privileges.
Incident Response: In a security incident, I2 can help identify the source of the breach, track the attacker's activities, and mitigate the damage. It provides valuable insights for forensic investigations and incident response efforts.
Identity intelligence empowers organizations to proactively protect their systems, applications, and data by understanding and managing the digital identities they access. It helps establish trust, prevent unauthorized access, and ensure critical information's confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Strengthening I2 and Cybersecurity with ThreatNG
Enhanced Identity Verification and Authentication:
Dark Web Monitoring: ThreatNG's dark web intelligence can uncover compromised credentials associated with the organization, alert security teams to potential unauthorized access attempts, and enable them to take proactive measures like enforcing password resets or implementing multi-factor authentication.
Phishing Susceptibility Assessment: By evaluating an organization's susceptibility to phishing attacks, ThreatNG helps security teams identify potential vulnerabilities in user awareness and training programs. This reinforces I2 by educating users about social engineering tactics and promoting stronger authentication practices.
Advanced Threat Detection and Prevention:
Continuous Monitoring and Intelligence Repositories: ThreatNG's real-time monitoring of the external attack surface, combined with its vast intelligence repositories (dark web, known vulnerabilities, etc.), provides early warnings of emerging threats, enabling proactive mitigation strategies and preventing potential breaches.
BEC and Ransomware Susceptibility Assessment: By identifying vulnerabilities that could lead to business email compromise (BEC) or ransomware attacks, ThreatNG empowers security teams to implement targeted controls, such as email security solutions or user behavior analytics, to strengthen I2 and prevent unauthorized access or data exfiltration.
Comprehensive Risk Management:
Cyber Risk Exposure, ESG Exposure, Supply Chain & Third-Party Exposure: ThreatNG's comprehensive risk assessments across various dimensions enable organizations to identify and prioritize vulnerabilities, implement appropriate security controls, and make informed decisions about access privileges and user authorizations, significantly enhancing I2 and overall risk management.
Security Ratings: ThreatNG's security ratings provide a quantifiable measure of an organization's cybersecurity posture. They allow security teams to benchmark their performance, identify areas for improvement, and demonstrate compliance to stakeholders, further strengthening I2 and building trust.
Collaboration with Complementary Solutions and Investigation Modules
SIEM Integration: Integrating ThreatNG with a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution allows the correlation of external threat intelligence with internal security events, providing a holistic view of the threat landscape and enabling faster incident response.
Vulnerability Management Integration: Combining ThreatNG's vulnerability assessments with a vulnerability management solution streamlines remediation efforts, ensures timely patching of critical vulnerabilities, and reduces the attack surface.
Threat Intelligence Platforms: Integrating ThreatNG's intelligence feeds with threat intelligence platforms enriches existing threat data, providing context and actionable insights for proactive threat hunting and incident response.
Illustrative Examples
Domain Intelligence: ThreatNG's Domain Intelligence can help security teams identify exposed API endpoints or development environments and prevent unauthorized access or data leaks, enhancing I2 by ensuring proper authentication and access controls for sensitive resources.
Social Media: Monitoring social media for mentions of layoffs or lawsuits related to the organization can help security teams assess potential insider threats or social engineering risks, enabling proactive I2 measures to protect sensitive information and prevent unauthorized access.
Cloud and SaaS Exposure: Discovering unsanctioned cloud services or open exposed cloud buckets can help security teams prevent data breaches and ensure compliance with data protection regulations, strengthening I2 by enforcing proper data access controls and encryption.
ThreatNG's all-in-one external attack surface management, digital risk protection, and security ratings solution offers a powerful arsenal of capabilities to enhance identity intelligence (I2) and bolster cybersecurity. By leveraging ThreatNG's comprehensive features, integrating with complementary solutions, and utilizing its investigation modules, organizations can significantly reduce their attack surface, proactively identify and mitigate threats, and establish a robust I2 framework to protect their critical assets and sensitive information.
