Portfolio Website Builder
Portfolio website builder technologies are online platforms that enable individuals and businesses to create visually appealing and professional websites to showcase their work, projects, or services. These platforms typically offer a variety of templates, drag-and-drop interfaces, and customization options, allowing users to build a website without requiring extensive coding knowledge. Popular portfolio website builders include Cargo, CargoCollective, Wix, Squarespace, and Adobe Portfolio.
Importance of Knowing If Your Organization Uses these Technologies:
Organizations must know whether these technologies are being used within their infrastructure, both sanctioned and unsanctioned, especially from a cybersecurity perspective. Here's why:
Data Privacy: Portfolio websites often contain sensitive information, such as personal details, client data, project details, or intellectual property. If these platforms are not adequately secured, this information could be exposed to unauthorized parties.
Security Vulnerabilities: Portfolio website builders, particularly cloud-based solutions, can have vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit. These vulnerabilities can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, website defacement, or even the injection of malicious code. Regular security audits and updates are essential to mitigate risks.
Brand Reputation: Unauthorized or poorly designed portfolio websites can negatively impact your brand image. Visitors may lose trust in your organization if they encounter unprofessional or insecure websites.
Phishing Attacks: Cybercriminals can create fake portfolio websites that mimic legitimate ones to trick users into revealing sensitive information. Organizations should be aware of unauthorized portfolio websites that might impersonate their brand.
SEO Impact: If unsanctioned portfolio websites are not optimized for search engines, they could negatively impact your company's overall SEO performance.
Cargo and CargoCollective and Cybersecurity Concerns:
Cargo and CargoCollective are popular portfolio website builders, particularly among creatives. While they offer user-friendly interfaces and attractive templates, organizations should be aware of potential security risks:
Shared Infrastructure: Cargo and CargoCollective are hosted platforms, meaning your website shares server resources with other users. This could increase the risk of cross-site contamination if another user's website is compromised.
Limited Customization: These platforms might have limited options for implementing custom security measures or integrating with existing security solutions.
Dependence on Third-Party Providers: Cargo and CargoCollective rely on third-party services for hosting, content delivery, and other functionalities. Organizations should assess the security practices of these third-party vendors.
ThreatNG: Identifying and Managing Risks from Portfolio Website Builder Technologies
ThreatNG can be crucial in identifying and mitigating the risks associated with portfolio website builder technologies like Cargo and CargoCollective.
External Attack Surface Management (EASM): ThreatNG continuously scans the internet to discover all externally visible digital assets associated with your organization. This includes identifying portfolio websites created using popular builders like Cargo or CargoCollective. ThreatNG can help assess the security posture of these websites, identify potential vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, or outdated software, and prioritize remediation efforts.
Digital Risk Protection (DRP): ThreatNG monitors the dark web, social media, and other online channels for mentions of your organization, brands, or sensitive data. This includes detecting phishing campaigns or discussing potential security flaws in the portfolio website builders you use.
Security Ratings: ThreatNG provides a comprehensive risk score by analyzing your organization's external attack surface and digital risk profile. This score includes an assessment of the security posture of the portfolio website builders used by your organization, helping you benchmark against industry standards and prioritize security improvements.
Example Workflow with Complementary Solutions:
ThreatNG Discovery: ThreatNG identifies an unauthorized Cargo-built portfolio website impersonating a senior employee and containing outdated company information.
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Integration: ThreatNG sends an alert to your SIEM platform, triggering an incident response workflow.
Takedown Request: The security team investigates the unauthorized website and initiates a takedown request with Cargo.
Communication: The organization communicates with the employee to confirm the website is unauthorized and educate them on company policies regarding online presence.
Overall Benefits:
By implementing ThreatNG, organizations can:
Gain Visibility: Discover all instances of portfolio website builder technologies used by your organization and partners.
Mitigate Risks: Identify and address security vulnerabilities, data breaches, and phishing attacks.
Protect Brand Reputation: Prevent unauthorized use of your brand on malicious or outdated websites.
Enhance Security: Continuously monitor and improve the security posture of portfolio websites.
Ensure Compliance: Comply with data protection regulations and internal policies regarding online presence.
