Digital Attack Surface

The digital attack surface is the total sum of all the points where an unauthorized user (an "attacker") can attempt to enter or extract data from a digital environment. It represents an organization's IT infrastructure that is exposed to the internet or other networks and could be vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Here's a breakdown of what that includes:

• Web Applications: Websites, APIs, and web-based portals.

• Mobile Applications: Apps for smartphones and tablets.

• Cloud Services: Cloud-based storage, computing platforms, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications.

• Networks: Firewalls, routers, switches, and other network devices.

• Endpoints: Laptops, desktops, servers, and mobile devices connected to the network.

• Internet of Things (IoT) Devices: Connected devices like security cameras, industrial sensors, and smart devices.

• Email Servers: Systems that handle email communication.

• DNS Servers: Systems that translate domain names to IP addresses.

• Open Ports and Services: Communication channels on a system that are accessible to external connections.

• Code Repositories: Locations where source code is stored, especially if publicly accessible.

• Social Media: In some contexts, social media presence can be considered part of the attack surface, particularly concerning social engineering attacks or brand impersonation.

The attack surface constantly evolves as organizations adopt new technologies and expand their digital presence. Effectively managing and reducing the attack surface is a critical aspect of cybersecurity.

Here’s how ThreatNG addresses the concept of the digital attack surface, its key features, and potential synergies with complementary solutions.

1. External Discovery

ThreatNG starts with external discovery, crucial for identifying the digital attack surface.

• It performs "purely external unauthenticated discovery" without needing connectors. This capability allows ThreatNG to map out an organization's attack surface from an attacker's perspective, identifying assets that might be unknown or unmanaged.

• Example: ThreatNG can discover all subdomains associated with an organization, including those forgotten or shadow IT assets, thus revealing a broader attack surface.

• Complementary Solutions:

  • Network Scanners: While ThreatNG focuses on external discovery, network scanners can provide deeper internal network mapping. Using both can give a 360-degree view of the attack surface.

  • Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASBs): CASBs can work with ThreatNG to provide better visibility and governance over cloud applications, a key and growing part of the digital attack surface.

2. External Assessment

ThreatNG assesses the discovered external assets to pinpoint vulnerabilities and weaknesses within the digital attack surface.

• It provides various assessment ratings:

  • Web Application Hijack Susceptibility: Assesses the potential for attackers to hijack web applications.

  • Subdomain Takeover Susceptibility: Evaluates the risk of subdomain takeovers.

  • BEC & Phishing Susceptibility: Determines susceptibility to Business Email Compromise and phishing attacks.

  • Brand Damage Susceptibility: Assesses factors that could lead to brand damage.

  • Data Leak Susceptibility: Identifies potential for data leaks.

  • Cyber Risk Exposure: Considers domain intelligence to determine cyber risk.

  • Code Secret Exposure: Discovers code repositories and their exposure level.

  • Cloud and SaaS Exposure: Evaluates cloud services and SaaS solutions.

  • ESG Exposure: Rates organizations based on ESG violations.

  • Supply Chain & Third Party Exposure: Assesses risks from supply chains and third parties.

  • Breach & Ransomware Susceptibility: Determines susceptibility to breaches and ransomware.

  • Mobile App Exposure: Evaluates the exposure of mobile apps.

  • Positive Security Indicators: Identifies security strengths.

• Examples:

  • ThreatNG's "Mobile App Exposure" assessment discovers mobile apps in marketplaces and analyzes them for sensitive information like API keys or credentials, which are part of the digital attack surface.

  • The "Code Secret Exposure" assessment identifies exposed code repositories and sensitive data, which can be a significant attack vector.

• Complementary Solutions:

  • Vulnerability Scanners: These tools can provide deeper vulnerability assessments of specific systems and applications identified by ThreatNG.

  • Penetration Testing Tools: Penetration testing can validate the risks identified by ThreatNG and assess the potential impact of vulnerabilities.

3. Reporting

ThreatNG delivers reports that help organizations understand and manage their digital attack surface.

• It offers various reporting formats, including executive, technical, and prioritized reports.

• Example: Prioritized reports help security teams focus on the most critical areas of the attack surface that need immediate attention.

• Complementary Solutions:

  • Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Systems: ThreatNG's reports can be integrated into SIEM systems to provide a consolidated view of security risks across the organization.

  • Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Tools: These tools can use ThreatNG's data to assess and manage compliance related to the digital attack surface.

4. Continuous Monitoring

ThreatNG continuously monitors the external attack surface.

• It continuously monitors external attack surface, digital risk, and security ratings. This ongoing monitoring is essential because the digital attack surface is dynamic and constantly changing.

• Example: ThreatNG can continuously monitor for new subdomains or changes in cloud service configurations, alerting security teams to potential new attack vectors.

• Complementary Solutions:

  • Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) Platforms: ThreatNG's monitoring can trigger automated responses in SOAR platforms to address emerging threats on the attack surface.

  • Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS): These systems can work with ThreatNG to detect and prevent attacks targeting the identified attack surface.

5. Investigation Modules

ThreatNG provides investigation modules to delve deeper into specific aspects of the digital attack surface.

• These modules include:

  • Domain Intelligence: Provides detailed information about domains, including subdomains, DNS records, and email intelligence.

  • IP Intelligence: Offers insights into IP addresses and related information.

  • Certificate Intelligence: Analyzes TLS certificates.

  • Social Media: Monitors social media for potential threats.

  • Sensitive Code Exposure: Discovers exposed code repositories.

  • Mobile Application Discovery: Investigates mobile apps.

  • Search Engine Exploitation: Analyzes how search engines can be used to expose information.

  • Cloud and SaaS Exposure: Provides visibility into cloud and SaaS usage.

  • Online Sharing Exposure: Monitors online sharing platforms.

  • Sentiment and Financials: Analyzes sentiment and financial data for risks.

  • Archived Web Pages: Examines archived web pages for sensitive information.

  • Dark Web Presence: Monitors the dark web for mentions of the organization.

  • Technology Stack: Identifies the technologies used by the organization.

• Examples:

  • The "Domain Intelligence" module helps to understand the domain-based attack surface, including subdomains and potential weaknesses in DNS configurations.

  • The "Sensitive Code Exposure" module is crucial for identifying a critical attack surface vector: exposed code repositories containing sensitive information like credentials or API keys.

• Complementary Solutions:

  • Threat Hunting Platforms: These platforms can proactively use ThreatNG's investigation data to search for threats within the attack surface.

  • Digital Forensics Tools: In case of an incident, these tools can work with ThreatNG's findings to conduct in-depth investigations.

6. Intelligence Repositories

ThreatNG's intelligence repositories provide valuable context for understanding threats to the digital attack surface.

• These repositories, branded as "DarCache," include information on:

  • Dark Web

  • Compromised Credentials

  • Ransomware Groups and Activities

  • Vulnerabilities

  • ESG Violations

  • Mobile Apps

• Example: The "DarCache Vulnerability" repository provides information on known vulnerabilities, which helps prioritize remediation efforts on the attack surface.

• Complementary Solutions:

  • Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIPs): Integrating with TIPs can enrich ThreatNG's intelligence and provide a broader view of the threat landscape.

  • SIEM Systems: Threat intelligence from DarCache can be fed into SIEM systems to correlate external threats with internal events.

ThreatNG offers a comprehensive approach to managing the digital attack surface through its external discovery, assessment, reporting, continuous monitoring, investigation modules, and intelligence repositories. Its potential to work with complementary solutions can significantly enhance an organization's ability to identify, understand, and mitigate risks associated with its digital footprint.