Proactive External Attack Surface Management

Proactive External Attack Surface Management (EASM) in cybersecurity is like having a dedicated security team constantly patrolling the perimeter of your organization's digital presence, looking for weaknesses and vulnerabilities before attackers can find them. It's a continuous process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks associated with all internet-facing assets, like:  

• Websites and web applications: Looking for outdated software, misconfigurations, and vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to deface websites, steal data, or launch further attacks.  

• Cloud services: Identifying misconfigured cloud storage, databases, and other services that might leak sensitive data or allow unauthorized access.  

• Exposed APIs: Finding not properly secured APIs that could be exploited to manipulate data or disrupt services.  

• Third-party services: Assessing the security posture of third-party vendors and partners accessing your systems or data.  

• Unknown or forgotten assets: Uncovering "shadow IT" – systems and devices connected to the internet without the IT department's knowledge.  

Key aspects of Proactive EASM:

• Continuous monitoring: Regularly scanning and analyzing the entire external attack surface to identify new assets, configuration changes, and emerging threats.  

• Vulnerability scanning: Proactively searching for known vulnerabilities and weaknesses in software and systems.  

• Threat intelligence: Leveraging intelligence to identify potential attacks and prioritize mitigation efforts based on the latest attacker tactics and techniques.  

• Automated remediation: Using automation to address identified vulnerabilities and misconfigurations quickly.  

Benefits of Proactive EASM:

• Reduced risk of cyberattacks: By identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities before they are exploited, organizations can significantly reduce their risk of successful attacks.  

• Improved security posture: Continuous monitoring and improving security controls strengthen the overall security posture.  

• Enhanced visibility: Provides a comprehensive view of all internet-facing assets, including unknown or forgotten ones.  

• Faster incident response: Early detection of threats enables faster and more effective incident response.  

Proactive EASM is essential in today's dynamic threat landscape, where the attack surface constantly expands and evolves. It helps organizations stay ahead of attackers and protect their critical assets and data.

ThreatNG, with its comprehensive suite of features, aligns perfectly with Proactive External Attack Surface Management. It goes beyond basic vulnerability scanning and delves deep into an organization's digital footprint to identify and mitigate potential threats before they can be exploited.

Here's how ThreatNG helps achieve Proactive EASM:

1. Continuous Monitoring and Discovery:

• Domain Intelligence: ThreatNG maps the external attack surface by identifying all associated domains, subdomains, IP addresses, and certificates. It uncovers hidden assets, misconfigurations, and vulnerabilities like exposed APIs, development environments, and sensitive ports. This continuous monitoring ensures that any changes to the attack surface are immediately identified and assessed.

• Sensitive Code Exposure: This module actively searches for code repositories linked to the organization that might contain sensitive information like API keys, credentials, or security vulnerabilities. Organizations can prevent attackers from exploiting these exposures by discovering and remediating them.

• Cloud and SaaS Exposure: ThreatNG identifies and assesses the security posture of the organization's cloud services and SaaS applications. This includes finding misconfigured cloud storage, databases, and vulnerable SaaS implementations, enabling proactive security hardening.

2. Proactive Vulnerability Management:

• Known Vulnerabilities: ThreatNG maintains an extensive database of known vulnerabilities and cross-references them with the organization's technology stack (identified through the Technology Stack module). This allows for proactive patching and mitigation of vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

• Search Engine Exploitation: This module leverages search engine capabilities to identify exposed sensitive information, susceptible files and servers, and other vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit. This proactive approach helps organizations find and fix weaknesses before malicious actors discover them.

3. Threat Intelligence and Risk Assessment:

• Intelligence Repositories: ThreatNG provides access to various threat intelligence feeds, including dark web data, compromised credentials, and ransomware events. This allows security teams to stay informed about emerging threats, attacker tactics, and vulnerabilities, facilitating proactive adaptation of defenses.

• Risk Scoring and Assessments: ThreatNG provides comprehensive risk assessments and scores for various aspects like Web Application Hijack Susceptibility, Subdomain Takeover Susceptibility, BEC & Phishing Susceptibility, Brand Damage Susceptibility, Data Leak Susceptibility, Cyber Risk Exposure, ESG Exposure, Supply Chain & Third Party Exposure, and Breach & Ransomware Susceptibility. These assessments highlight potential weaknesses and prioritize areas for improvement, enabling data-driven security investments and proactive risk mitigation.

4. Collaboration and Remediation:

• Reporting: ThreatNG offers various reports, including executive summaries, technical details, prioritized findings, and security ratings. These reports facilitate communication and collaboration between security teams, management, and other stakeholders, ensuring that everyone is informed about the organization's security posture and that proactive measures are taken.

• Collaboration and Management Facilities: Features like role-based access controls, dynamically generated Correlation Evidence Questionnaires, and policy management capabilities help streamline security operations, facilitate cross-functional cooperation, and ensure that security policies are aligned with the organization's risk tolerance.

Working with Complementary Solutions:

ThreatNG integrates with existing security tools to enhance proactive security measures:

• Vulnerability Scanners: ThreatNG's findings can guide vulnerability scanning efforts and prioritize remediation activities.

• SIEM/SOAR: ThreatNG's alerts and threat intelligence can be fed into SIEM/SOAR platforms to automate incident response and threat-hunting workflows.

• Threat Intelligence Platforms: ThreatNG's data can enrich threat intelligence platforms and provide a more comprehensive view of the threat landscape.

Examples:

• Scenario: ThreatNG identifies a vulnerable version of a web server running on an exposed subdomain through its Domain Intelligence module.

  • Action: Proactively patch the server and update web application firewalls to prevent vulnerability exploitation.

• Scenario: ThreatNG discovers an employee's credentials leaked on the dark web through its Dark Web Presence module.

  • Action: Immediately reset the employee's password, initiate an account review, and conduct security awareness training to prevent future credential compromise.

• Scenario: ThreatNG's phishing susceptibility assessment reveals a high risk of employees falling for phishing emails.

  • Action: Develop targeted phishing awareness training to educate employees about identifying and reporting phishing attempts.

By providing continuous visibility into the external attack surface, potential threats, and vulnerabilities, ThreatNG empowers organizations to adopt a proactive cybersecurity approach, minimizing risk and strengthening their overall security posture.