In the world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), cybersecurity due diligence assesses the target company's security posture to identify potential risks and liabilities. This includes evaluating their security controls, incident response capabilities, and compliance with regulations.  

Subsidiary monitoring extends this concept further, encompassing the ongoing assessment and management of cybersecurity risks across all subsidiaries before and after an acquisition. This is crucial because subsidiaries often have different IT infrastructures, security practices, and risk profiles, potentially exposing the parent company to vulnerabilities.  

How ThreatNG Helps in Subsidiary Monitoring and M&A Due Diligence

ThreatNG's comprehensive features provide a robust solution for both M&A due diligence and ongoing subsidiary monitoring:

1. Comprehensive Risk Assessment:

• Attack Surface Discovery: ThreatNG's external attack surface management capabilities, coupled with its domain intelligence module, provide a complete view of each subsidiary's digital assets, including domains, subdomains, IP addresses, and exposed services. This helps identify potential vulnerabilities and attack vectors.  

• Vulnerability Scanning & Monitoring: ThreatNG continuously monitors subsidiaries for known vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and security weaknesses. This includes web applications, cloud services, and third-party software, allowing for proactive risk mitigation.  

• Dark Web Intelligence: ThreatNG's dark web monitoring identifies compromised credentials, leaked data, and mentions of subsidiaries on the dark web, indicating potential breaches or ongoing attacks.  

• Social Media Monitoring: ThreatNG analyzes social media for sensitive information leaks, employee sentiment, and potential brand damage risks associated with each subsidiary.  

2. Streamlined Due Diligence:

• Automated Assessments: ThreatNG automates much of the due diligence process, saving time and resources while ensuring consistent and comprehensive assessments across all subsidiaries.  

• Risk Scoring and Reporting: ThreatNG's customizable risk scoring and reporting features allow for the quantification and prioritization of identified risks based on the parent company's risk appetite and each subsidiary's specific context.  

• Correlation Evidence Questionnaires: ThreatNG's dynamic questionnaires facilitate efficient communication and collaboration between security teams, legal teams, and subsidiary stakeholders, streamlining the due diligence process.  

3. Ongoing Subsidiary Monitoring:

• Continuous Monitoring: ThreatNG continuously monitors the security posture of all subsidiaries, providing real-time alerts on new vulnerabilities, emerging threats, and suspicious activities.  

• Policy Management: ThreatNG's policy management features allow the parent company to define and enforce consistent security standards and best practices across all subsidiaries, ensuring compliance and reducing risk.  

• Reporting and Analytics: ThreatNG provides comprehensive reports and dashboards that offer insights into each subsidiary's security posture, enabling informed decision-making and proactive risk management.  

Complementary Solutions and Services:

• Penetration Testing: Conducting penetration tests on subsidiary systems can provide a deeper understanding of their security posture and identify vulnerabilities missed by automated scans.  

• Security Awareness Training: Implementing security awareness training programs across subsidiaries can help reduce the risk of human error and social engineering attacks.  

• Incident Response Planning: Developing and testing incident response plans with each subsidiary can ensure a coordinated and effective response to a security incident.

Examples of ThreatNG's Investigation Modules in Action:

• Domain Intelligence: Identifying subsidiaries with expired SSL certificates or missing security headers can reveal potential vulnerabilities and weak security practices.

• Sensitive Code Exposure: Discovering API keys or database credentials exposed in a subsidiary's public code repositories can highlight critical security risks and potential data breaches.  

• Cloud and SaaS Exposure: Identifying unsanctioned cloud services or misconfigured cloud storage buckets a subsidiary uses can expose shadow IT risks and potential data leakage.  

• Dark Web Presence: Finding mentions of a subsidiary on dark web forums or marketplaces can indicate previous breaches, compromised credentials, or ongoing attacks.  

By leveraging ThreatNG's capabilities and integrating with complementary solutions, organizations can effectively conduct M&A due diligence and maintain continuous security monitoring of their subsidiaries, minimizing risks and ensuring a solid security posture across the organization.