Technical Attack Surface
The technical attack surface in cybersecurity refers specifically to the technology-related vulnerabilities and entry points that attackers can exploit to compromise an organization's systems or data. It encompasses all the publicly accessible hardware and software, as well as their configurations and code, that could be targeted by malicious actors.
Think of it as all the digital doors, windows, and cracks in your organization's technological fortress that a cyber attacker could potentially use to gain entry.
Here's a breakdown of what constitutes the technical attack surface:
Web Applications: This includes vulnerabilities in websites and web applications, such as cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection, and insecure authentication.
Servers and Databases: Misconfigurations or unpatched vulnerabilities in servers and databases can expose them to attacks.
Endpoints: Laptops, desktops, mobile devices, and other endpoints connected to the network can be entry points if not properly secured.
Cloud Services: Vulnerabilities within cloud network infrastructure and services are also part of the technical attack surface.
Network Devices: Routers, switches, and firewalls can be exploited if they contain vulnerabilities or are misconfigured.
Code Repositories: Publicly accessible code repositories can expose sensitive information like API keys and credentials.
APIs: Insecure APIs can allow attackers to access or manipulate sensitive data.
IoT Devices: Internet of Things devices often have weak security and can be entry points into a network.
Why is it important to manage your technical attack surface?
Prevent Data Breaches: By identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities, you can reduce the risk of attackers gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Maintain Business Continuity: Protecting your systems from technical attacks helps ensure business operations remain uninterrupted.
Protect Reputation: A successful attack can damage your organization's reputation and erode customer trust.
Meet Compliance Requirements: Many industries have regulations requiring organizations to secure their technical infrastructure.
How can you manage your technical attack surface?
Regular Vulnerability Scanning: Use automated tools to identify vulnerabilities in your systems and applications.
Penetration Testing: Simulate real-world attacks to identify weaknesses in your defenses.
System Hardening: Configure your systems and applications securely to minimize vulnerabilities.
Patch Management: Keep your software and hardware up-to-date with the latest security patches.
Code Reviews: Regularly review code for security vulnerabilities before it is deployed.
Secure Configuration Management: Establish and enforce secure configurations for all systems and devices.
By proactively managing your technical attack surface, you can strengthen your organization's cybersecurity posture and reduce the risk of falling victim to cyberattacks.
ThreatNG can effectively manage and mitigate the technical attack surface through a comprehensive suite of capabilities:
External Discovery: ThreatNG automatically discovers and maps an organization's internet-facing assets, including websites, subdomains, cloud services, and more. This provides a complete view of the organization's external technical attack surface, crucial for identifying potential entry points for external attacks.
External Assessment: ThreatNG assesses the discovered assets for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and security risks, helping identify weaknesses that attackers could exploit. ThreatNG's assessment capabilities include:
Evaluating the susceptibility of web applications to hijacking, subdomain takeover, BEC and phishing attacks, brand damage, data leaks, and ransomware.
Assessing exposure to cyber risks, ESG risks, and supply chain and third-party risks.
Providing detailed breakdowns of findings for each assessment. For example, the Web Application Hijack Susceptibility assessment analyzes the parts of a web application accessible from the outside world to identify potential entry points for attackers.
Analyzing the website's subdomains, DNS records, SSL certificate statuses, and other relevant factors in the Subdomain Takeover Susceptibility assessment.
Deriving the BEC & Phishing Susceptibility assessment from Sentiment and Financials Findings, Domain Intelligence, and Dark Web Presence.
Reporting: ThreatNG generates detailed reports on the external attack surface, vulnerabilities, and security ratings. These reports help organizations understand their security posture and prioritize remediation efforts.
Continuous Monitoring: ThreatNG continuously monitors the external attack surface for changes and new threats, helping organizations stay ahead of emerging risks.
Investigation Modules: ThreatNG provides in-depth investigation modules for domains, social media, sensitive code exposure, cloud and SaaS exposure, online sharing exposure, sentiment and financials, archived web pages, dark web presence, and technology stack. These modules help analyze potential attack vectors and identify specific threats.
Intelligence Repositories: ThreatNG leverages intelligence repositories on the dark web, compromised credentials, ransomware events and groups, known vulnerabilities, ESG violations, bug bounty programs, SEC Form 8-Ks, and Bank Identification Numbers. This threat intelligence helps organizations understand the broader threat landscape and proactively defend against external attacks.
ThreatNG can also work with complementary security solutions like vulnerability scanners, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems, further enhancing an organization's security posture.
Examples of ThreatNG Helping:
ThreatNG helped a financial institution discover a subdomain takeover vulnerability on one of its forgotten marketing websites, preventing a potential phishing attack.
ThreatNG helped a healthcare organization identify sensitive patient data exposed on a misconfigured cloud storage bucket, preventing a potential data breach.
Examples of ThreatNG Working with Complementary Solutions:
ThreatNG integrates with a vulnerability scanner to provide detailed vulnerability assessment reports on internet-facing assets, helping organizations prioritize remediation efforts.
ThreatNG integrates with a firewall to provide real-time threat intelligence, helping the firewall block malicious traffic and prevent attacks.
