Identity Theft

Identity theft, within the realm of cybersecurity, is the unauthorized acquisition and use of someone else's personal identifying information for fraudulent purposes.

Here's a breakdown of key elements:

• Personal Identifying Information (PII): This refers to any data that can be used to identify a specific individual. Examples include:

• Full name

• Social Security number

• Date of birth

• Address

• Driver's license number

• Financial account information

• Medical information

• Unauthorized Acquisition: Cybercriminals obtain this information through various means, such as:

• Data breaches: Hacking into systems to steal large amounts of personal data.

• Phishing: Deceiving individuals into revealing their information through fraudulent emails, websites, or messages.

• Malware: Using malicious software to steal information from infected devices.

• Social engineering: Manipulating individuals into divulging information.

• Fraudulent Purposes: The stolen information is then used to commit fraud, including:

• Opening new accounts in the victim's name

• Making unauthorized purchases

• Filing fraudulent tax returns

• Obtaining loans or credit cards

• Committing other crimes while impersonating the victim

• Cybersecurity Context: In cybersecurity, identity theft is a significant concern because technology facilitates the large-scale collection, storage, and theft of personal information. Cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in systems and use online methods to carry out identity theft.

ThreatNG's Role in Preventing Identity Theft

ThreatNG delivers capabilities that empower organizations to proactively mitigate the risk of identity theft by addressing various methods of unauthorized acquisition of PII.

1. Unauthorized Acquisition Methods

ThreatNG helps organizations counter the following ways cybercriminals acquire PII:

• Data Breaches:

• ThreatNG reduces the risk of data breaches by providing surface management for external attacks.

• By identifying vulnerabilities and misconfigurations, ThreatNG enables organizations to secure their systems and prevent attackers from gaining the initial access needed for a data breach.

• For example, ThreatNG's Cyber Risk Exposure and Vulnerability Detection assessment directly contributes to preventing breaches.

• Phishing:

• ThreatNG plays a significant role in mitigating phishing, a primary method for acquiring PII.

• ThreatNG assesses BEC & Phishing Susceptibility using domain intelligence and email intelligence, helping organizations understand and reduce their vulnerability to phishing attacks.

• This makes it harder for attackers to use phishing to obtain credentials and other PII.

• Malware:

• ThreatNG helps organizations reduce the attack surface that malware could exploit to steal PII.

• By discovering exposed ports, services, and vulnerabilities, ThreatNG enables organizations to harden their systems against malware infections that could lead to the theft of PII.

• Social Engineering:

• ThreatNG's capabilities contribute to reducing the effectiveness of social engineering.

• For example, ThreatNG provides insights into an organization's external footprint and potential phishing risks, helping organizations educate their employees and improve their ability to recognize and avoid social engineering tactics.

How ThreatNG Helps - Highlighting Key Capabilities

• External Discovery: ThreatNG's external discovery allows organizations to see their systems as an attacker would, helping to identify potential entry points for unauthorized access and data theft.

• External Assessment: ThreatNG's assessments are crucial for preventing the unauthorized acquisition of PII:

• It assesses BEC & Phishing Susceptibility.

• It monitors for compromised credentials on the dark web.

• It discovers code secret exposures.

• Reporting: ThreatNG provides reports highlighting vulnerabilities and exposures that could lead to the unauthorized acquisition of PII.

• Continuous Monitoring: ThreatNG's continuous monitoring helps organizations stay aware of emerging threats and potential risks of PII theft.

• Investigation Modules: ThreatNG's investigation modules provide valuable information for preventing unauthorized acquisition:

• Domain Intelligence aids in understanding and mitigating phishing risks.

• Sensitive Code Exposure helps discover exposed credentials.

• Intelligence Repositories: ThreatNG uses intelligence repositories that include dark web data and compromised credentials. These repositories are critical for detecting and preventing the unauthorized acquisition of PII.

• Working with Complementary Solutions: ThreatNG works with other security solutions to provide a more comprehensive defense against identity theft:

• SIEM Systems: ThreatNG provides data on compromised credentials and phishing activity to SIEM systems.

• Identity and Access Management (IAM) Systems: ThreatNG's detection of exposed credentials triggers actions in IAM systems, such as password resets or multi-factor authentication enforcement.