The Hacker News
The Hacker News (THN) is a leading global cybersecurity news platform that provides real-time reporting on information security, hacking, and digital privacy. Launched in 2010 and headquartered in New Delhi, India, it has grown into one of the most influential independent news sources for security professionals, researchers, and decision-makers worldwide.
It is essential to distinguish this publication from "Hacker News" (run by Y Combinator), which is a general tech news aggregator. The Hacker News (THN) is a dedicated journalistic outlet specifically focused on the "breaking" aspects of the cybersecurity industry.
The platform is defined by:
Real-Time Threat Intelligence: Rapid coverage of zero-day vulnerabilities, active malware campaigns, and data breaches.
Technical Investigative Reporting: In-depth analysis of Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group tactics and cyber-espionage activities.
Global Reach: Serving over 50 million readers annually, with a massive social media following that makes it a primary "first-alert" channel for the infosec community.
Educational Focus: Regular publication of webinars, white papers, and technical guides aimed at improving the global security posture.
Core Pillars of The Hacker News' Coverage
THN structures its reporting to serve as a comprehensive dashboard for defenders and security analysts.
Vulnerability and Exploit Research
The platform is often the first to report critical software flaws in major ecosystems such as Microsoft Windows, Google Chrome, and Linux. These reports typically include:
CVSS Scores: Providing a standardized rating of the vulnerability’s severity.
Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Details: Explaining how an exploit works to help developers create effective patches.
Mitigation Steps: Offering immediate advice for system administrators to secure their environments before official patches are released.
Cybercrime and APT Tracking
THN provides granular tracking of state-sponsored hacking groups and criminal syndicates. This includes monitoring the infrastructure used in ransomware attacks and identifying the specific remote access trojans (RATs) used in geopolitical espionage.
Industry News and Corporate Security
Beyond the code, THN covers the business of security, including major acquisitions, shifts in cybersecurity policy, and the impact of new technologies like AI and Quantum Computing on data protection.
Why The Hacker News is Essential for Security Professionals
The platform is a "must-read" for those responsible for an organization's digital defense.
Early Warning System: By following their feeds, SOC (Security Operations Center) analysts can identify "indicators of compromise" (IoCs) as they emerge in the wild.
Vendor-Neutral Perspective: As an independent outlet, THN provides unbiased reviews of security trends and challenges, often highlighting the gaps in current defensive technologies.
Regulatory Awareness: It helps organizations stay compliant with global standards by reporting on the legislative consequences of data breaches and new privacy mandates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Hacker News the same as Y Combinator’s Hacker News?
No. While they share a similar name, they are entirely different entities. Y Combinator’s Hacker News is a link-sharing forum for general tech interests. The Hacker News (THN) is an independent cybersecurity news publication with its own editorial team and investigative staff.
Is the content on THN technical or for executives?
It serves both. Technical researchers value the deep dives into malware code and vulnerability mechanics, while CISOs and executives use the platform for high-level risk assessments and strategic trend analysis.
Who owns The Hacker News?
The Hacker News is operated by THN Media Private Limited. Mohit Kumar founded it and has maintained its status as an independent media organization since its inception.
ThreatNG functions as a sophisticated engine that transforms real-time threat alerts from The Hacker News (THN) and other global news sources into actionable defense strategies. While THN provides the "first alert" on zero-day vulnerabilities, active malware campaigns, and data breaches, ThreatNG provides the External Attack Surface Management (EASM) and Digital Risk Protection (DRP) needed to determine whether those threats are targeting your organization. By ingesting feeds from these sources, ThreatNG identifies emerging risk patterns and applies them directly to your organization’s discovered assets.
External Discovery: Mapping the Digital Attack Surface
ThreatNG uses a purely external, unauthenticated discovery engine to map an organization's digital footprint. This "outside-in" approach mirrors the reconnaissance phase of a sophisticated threat actor who uses news from The Hacker News to find vulnerable targets.
Shadow IT and Asset Inventory: ThreatNG identifies subdomains, cloud instances, and unsanctioned SaaS applications. If THN reports on a vulnerability in a specific cloud-based project management tool, ThreatNG discovers if any of your business units are using that tool without IT's knowledge.
Technology Stack Profiling: The platform identifies specific software versions and hardware signatures of your external assets. This allows for immediate correlation when news breaks about an exploit targeting a particular version of a VPN gateway or web server.
Ecosystem and Subsidiary Visibility: Discovery extends beyond the primary domain to include subsidiaries and third-party partners, providing a holistic view of the interconnected risks often highlighted in supply chain compromise reports.
External Assessment: Validating Risk and Susceptibility
Once assets are identified, ThreatNG conducts detailed external assessments to determine their susceptibility to the attack vectors currently trending in the media.
Web Application and Hijack Susceptibility
ThreatNG assesses web applications for weaknesses that could lead to account takeovers or session hijacking.
Example: If a news feed identifies a new method for bypassing multi-factor authentication (MFA) or stealing session tokens, ThreatNG assesses your public-facing login pages for the absence of secure cookie flags or inadequate session protocols, providing a prioritized susceptibility score.
Subdomain Takeover Susceptibility
The platform evaluates DNS records to find "dangling" entries—subdomains pointing to decommissioned or inactive cloud services.
Example: ThreatNG might identify a subdomain pointing to an expired AWS or Azure instance. An attacker could claim that address to host a fraudulent site on your legitimate domain, a sophisticated tactic frequently covered in technical deep dives on The Hacker News.
BEC and Phishing Susceptibility
ThreatNG analyzes domain permutations and email security headers (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to predict the likelihood of targeted phishing.
Example: By monitoring for "typosquatted" domains that impersonate your brand, ThreatNG provides the early warning needed to block these sites at the perimeter before a phishing campaign reaches your employees.
Continuous Monitoring and Intelligence Repositories
ThreatNG ensures your security posture is always measured against the latest threat landscape, providing an uninterrupted watch over your attack surface.
Intelligence Repositories: ThreatNG leverages deep repositories containing data on dark web marketplaces, compromised credentials, and ransomware group activities.
Live Feed Correlation: When The Hacker News breaks a story about a new ransomware group's infrastructure, ThreatNG automatically cross-references that infrastructure with your environment to see if any of your assets are communicating with known malicious IPs.
Real-Time Alerts: The platform alerts you the moment a new vulnerability is disclosed or a previously hidden asset is indexed by a search engine, ensuring you use the most up-to-date information for remediation.
Investigation Modules: Deep Forensic and Proactive Analysis
The Investigation Modules allow security teams to pivot from a high-level alert to a granular, evidence-based investigation of their own company’s exposure.
Sensitive Code Exposure
This module scans public code repositories like GitHub and "paste" sites for leaked secrets and configuration files.
Example: ThreatNG may find a hardcoded API key or a database connection string in a developer’s public repository. This allows the team to revoke the secret before a botnet uses it to gain unauthorized access.
Dark Web Presence
This module monitors underground forums for mentions of your organization or your executives.
Example: If a report mentions a new "initial access broker" selling access to corporate networks, ThreatNG uses its dark web module to see if your company's proprietary data or employee logins have appeared in these illicit marketplaces.
Search Engine Exploitation
This module assesses how much sensitive information is inadvertently indexed by search engines.
Example: ThreatNG might discover that a sensitive "admin" directory or a backup database file is visible via advanced search queries. This allows attackers to find privileged folders without even scanning your network.
Cooperation with Complementary Solutions
ThreatNG provides the external intelligence that fuels and directs internal security tools. By working in cooperation with these complementary solutions, organizations can close the gap between external discovery and internal remediation.
Cooperation with SIEM and XDR: ThreatNG feeds external risk data—like a newly discovered malicious lookalike domain—into a SIEM. This enables the SIEM to immediately alert analysts if any internal user attempts to connect to that domain, stopping a phishing attack at the perimeter.
Cooperation with Vulnerability Management: While internal scanners test known servers, ThreatNG finds the "unknown" or "shadow" assets. Once found, these are passed to the internal scanner for a deeper, credentialed scan to find specific software bugs.
Cooperation with SOAR Platforms: SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) tools use ThreatNG's alerts to automate defenses. For instance, if ThreatNG detects an exposed administrative port on a cloud resource, the SOAR platform can automatically update firewall rules to close that port until it can be adequately secured.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does ThreatNG use feeds from The Hacker News?
ThreatNG monitors reputable sources like The Hacker News to identify the latest tactics and infrastructure used by cybercriminals. It then scans your organization's external footprint to see if you have the specific vulnerabilities or exposures that those criminals are currently targeting.
What is "zero-input" discovery?
It means ThreatNG identifies your assets exactly as a hacker would—starting only with your primary domain. It requires no internal software, agents, or credentials to map your entire external presence.
Can ThreatNG help with regulatory reporting?
Yes. ThreatNG provides specialized reporting for U.S. SEC filings and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) exposure, helping companies meet their legal requirements for disclosing material cybersecurity risks and oversight.
