Vendor Risk Intelligence
In security and cybersecurity, vendor risk intelligence refers to the data and insights obtained and examined to evaluate the possible security risks connected to outside suppliers, vendors, or service providers. This information contains details about the vendor's security procedures, weaknesses, legal and industry requirements adherence, and past results in protecting sensitive data and systems. To effectively reduce the risks these external collaborations may pose, it is essential to proactively detect, quantify, and make decisions based on that information.
Critical components of Vendor Risk Intelligence include:
Security Assessments: Information collected from security assessments, audits, and evaluations of the vendor's security controls and practices.
Threat Intelligence: Data regarding the vendor's exposure to emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and cyberattacks that could impact their security posture.
Compliance Data: Insights into the vendor's adherence to industry-specific security standards and regulatory requirements.
Incident History: Historical data on any security incidents or breaches the vendor may have experienced and how they managed them.
Vulnerability Data: Information about identified vulnerabilities, patches, and weaknesses in the vendor's products, services, or systems.
Contractual Agreements: Details of the security requirements and obligations outlined in contractual and service level agreements (SLAs).
Vendor Risk Intelligence is a critical component of Risk Management. It helps organizations make informed decisions when selecting, onboarding, and managing third-party vendors. It also allows organizations to effectively assess and manage the security and compliance risks associated with external partnerships, ensuring they do not introduce vulnerabilities that could compromise their assets, data, or operations.
ThreatNG excels at providing Vendor Risk Intelligence (VRI) by combining external attack surface management, digital risk protection, and security ratings into a comprehensive solution. Let's explore how it addresses VRI and its integration with other security and risk management solutions.
ThreatNG's Role in Vendor Risk Intelligence
Proactive Risk Identification: ThreatNG actively scans vendors' external digital footprints, uncovering potential risks such as phishing susceptibility, data leaks, brand damage, and more.
This proactive approach uncovers vulnerabilities before they can be exploited, giving organizations a head start in mitigating vendor-related risks.
Continuous Monitoring: ThreatNG monitors vendors' digital assets for changes that could indicate a heightened risk level. This includes monitoring for new vulnerabilities, compromised credentials, data leaks on the dark web, and any other events that might expose your organization to risk through a vendor.
Deep Contextual Insights: ThreatNG doesn't just provide a list of vulnerabilities; it offers deep contextual insights into each risk. For example, if a vendor's exposed code is found on a public repository, ThreatNG can pinpoint the specific files, lines of code, and potential vulnerabilities within that code.
Vendor Risk Scoring: ThreatNG aggregates all this information into a comprehensive risk score for each vendor. This score helps organizations prioritize which vendors require the most attention and resources for mitigation.
Integration with Complementary Security and Risk Management Solutions
ThreatNG can seamlessly integrate with a variety of complementary solutions to create a robust VRI ecosystem:
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): SIEM solutions can ingest ThreatNG's findings and correlate them with other security events to identify potential attacks or breaches involving vendors.
Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) Platforms: TPRM platforms can use ThreatNG's data to enrich vendor risk assessments, providing a more comprehensive view of a vendor's security posture.
Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIP): TIPs can incorporate ThreatNG's intelligence data into their threat models, enabling them to better detect and respond to emerging threats involving vendors.
Vulnerability Management Solutions: Vulnerability scanners can leverage ThreatNG's discovery capabilities to identify vendor-provided software or service vulnerabilities.
Example Workflow: ThreatNG Integrated with SIEM and TPRM
ThreatNG Discovery: ThreatNG continuously monitors Vendor X's digital assets, identifying a data leak of sensitive customer information on the dark web.
SIEM Alert: ThreatNG's findings are ingested by the organization's SIEM, which triggers an alert notifying the security team of the potential breach.
TPRM Investigation: The TPRM platform is integrated with ThreatNG, automatically updating Vendor X's risk profile with the new information.
Incident Response: The security team investigates the breach, working with Vendor X to mitigate the issue and prevent further data loss.
Risk Reassessment: Based on the investigation's outcome, Vendor X's risk score is reevaluated within the TPRM platform, informing future decisions about the vendor relationship.
Leveraging ThreatNG's Investigation Modules
ThreatNG's investigation modules further enhance its VRI capabilities:
Domain Intelligence: Uncover vulnerabilities in Vendor X's DNS, subdomains, certificates, and IP addresses.
Social Media: Monitor social media for negative sentiment or discussions about Vendor X that could indicate a potential risk.
Sensitive Code Exposure: Identify exposed code repositories or mobile apps belonging to Vendor X that attackers could exploit.
Search Engine Exploitation: Assess Vendor X's susceptibility to search engine-based attacks.
Cloud and SaaS Exposure: Evaluate Vendor X's cloud security posture and identify any misconfigurations or unauthorized use of cloud services.
By combining ThreatNG's comprehensive VRI capabilities with other security and risk management solutions, organizations can proactively identify, assess, and mitigate vendor-related risks, ensuring a more secure and resilient supply chain.