Understanding acceptable risk requires a comprehensive assessment of the organization’s risk appetite, regulatory requirements, and business objectives. While some risks may be deemed acceptable due to their low likelihood or potential impact, others may require immediate mitigation strategies to align with organizational goals and compliance standards. Moreover, acceptable risk varies across different industries and sectors,...
Effective access control is fundamental to maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of organizational data and resources, mitigating the risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, and insider threats. By implementing access control measures, organizations can enforce security policies and restrictions tailored to individual user roles, responsibilities, and privileges, ensuring that users only access information and...
Active assets play a critical role in an organization’s attack surface, representing components that are actively utilized in day-to-day operations. Distinguishing between active and inactive assets is vital for effective attack surface reduction, as it enables organizations to prioritize the removal or consolidation of redundant or unnecessary assets without disrupting critical business processes. By accurately...
An application programming interface (API) is a set of rules and protocols that enable two applications to communicate with each other and share data. Application developers use APIs to integrate the functions of one application into another without coding those capabilities from scratch. Nearly every application makes use of at least one API today. However,...
In the context of attack surface management, an asset is an IT element such as an application, code, website, server, or another element that provides a point of entry for a cyber attacker to breach a network, system, application, or device. The external attack surface comprises all internet-facing IT assets, both known and unknown. Assets...
Asset discovery serves as a foundational pillar of effective cybersecurity strategy, providing organizations with comprehensive visibility into the intricate web of IT assets comprising their attack surface. This multifaceted process encompasses the identification and categorization of various asset types, ranging from traditional on-premises systems and network infrastructure to cloud-based services, IoT devices, and endpoints dispersed...
Conducting a risk assessment for internet-facing IT assets is essential for organizations to effectively prioritize their cybersecurity efforts and allocate resources based on the level of risk posed by each asset. By considering contextual factors such as usage patterns, ownership, connectivity, and vulnerability status, organizations can gain insights into the potential impact of security incidents...
Conducting an attack surface assessment is essential for organizations to gain insights into their security posture and identify potential weaknesses that could be exploited by threat actors. By adopting an attacker’s perspective, organizations can proactively identify and prioritize security measures to mitigate risks and reduce the likelihood of successful cyber attacks. During the assessment, factors...
Attack surface elements constitute the diverse array of internet-facing assets within an organization’s digital infrastructure that are susceptible to exploitation by cyber threats and adversaries. These elements encompass a wide range of components, including physical devices such as routers, switches, and IoT devices; networks and server infrastructure deployed on-premises or in the cloud; externally accessible...
Attack surface inventory is the complete accounting of all assets or elements that make up a company’s attack surface and can include both first-party assets and assets that the company does not directly own or control. It’s the result of an asset discovery process.
Effective attack surface management requires continuous monitoring and adaptation to evolving threats and technological landscapes. This involves not only discovering assets and identifying vulnerabilities but also implementing proactive measures to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential risks. Furthermore, attack surface management encompasses strategic decision-making to prioritize remediation efforts based on risk severity and potential...
In addition to continuously scanning the organization’s attack surface, effective attack surface monitoring involves analyzing the gathered data to gain insights into emerging threats and potential vulnerabilities. This includes correlating security events, identifying patterns indicative of malicious activity, and prioritizing remediation efforts based on risk severity. Moreover, attack surface monitoring integrates threat intelligence feeds and...
Implementing effective attack surface reduction measures requires a proactive and holistic approach to security management. Beyond identifying and patching vulnerabilities, organizations must also prioritize reducing the overall attack surface to minimize exposure to potential threats. This involves regularly assessing and optimizing the organization’s digital footprint, identifying and decommissioning outdated or unnecessary assets, and implementing stringent...
Achieving comprehensive attack surface visibility is essential for organizations to proactively manage security risks and effectively protect their assets from potential threats. By leveraging supply chain discovery and attack surface monitoring tools, organizations can gain insights into their digital footprint, including assets, dependencies, and potential attack vectors. This visibility enables organizations to conduct thorough inventory...
Attack vectors represent the diverse tactics and techniques employed by threat actors to exploit vulnerabilities and compromise the security of IT systems and networks. These vectors encompass a wide range of attack methods, including technical exploits, social engineering tactics, and malicious activities aimed at infiltrating, manipulating, or disrupting targeted systems and data. Common attack vectors...
Classification plays a vital role in effective risk management and prioritization of cybersecurity efforts within an organization. By systematically categorizing assets and vulnerabilities according to their severity and potential impact on business operations, organizations can allocate resources more efficiently and focus on mitigating the most critical risks first. This approach helps organizations prioritize remediation efforts...
Cloud assets encompass a diverse range of IT resources and components that are leveraged for cloud computing purposes within an organization’s digital infrastructure. These assets include virtual or physical servers, storage systems, databases, networking infrastructure, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications that are hosted and managed within cloud environments, such as public, private, or hybrid clouds. Unlike...
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database serves as a critical resource for the cybersecurity community, facilitating the sharing of information about known vulnerabilities and exposures to enhance collective defense efforts against cyber threats. By providing a standardized naming scheme and unique identifier for each reported vulnerability, CVE enables organizations to quickly and accurately reference...
Continuous discovery is the process of constantly scanning the digital supply chain to identify previously unknown assets and vulnerabilities. It’s a necessary component of effective attack surface management. Continuous discovery represents a fundamental practice within the realm of cybersecurity, particularly in the context of attack surface management, aimed at maintaining visibility and awareness of the...
Credential theft occurs when malicious actors steal login details and use them to access services or applications. Threat actors then steadily elevate their privileges or access bank accounts, e-commerce websites, and other platforms as a customer. Credential theft can cause significant financial losses for victims (both companies and the affected customers). When used in the...
Managing cyber risk involves not only preventing data breaches but also implementing proactive measures to mitigate potential harm to the organization’s finances, intellectual property, and reputation. This includes assessing and prioritizing potential threats, implementing robust security controls and protocols, conducting regular security audits and assessments, and ensuring rapid response and recovery mechanisms in the event...
A cyber risk assessment serves as a critical component of an organization’s cybersecurity strategy, encompassing a systematic evaluation of the security posture of assets, systems, and infrastructure to identify potential vulnerabilities, threats, and risks that could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive information and critical resources. By assessing the likelihood of security incidents...
Cyber risk quantification serves as a critical component of cybersecurity risk management, enabling organizations to assess and quantify the potential impact and severity of cyber threats and vulnerabilities on their business operations and assets. By applying quantitative analysis techniques and methodologies, organizations can measure the potential consequences of a data breach or security incident targeting...
A data breach represents a critical security incident wherein sensitive information, such as personal data, financial records, or proprietary business information, is compromised or accessed by unauthorized individuals or entities without proper authorization. This unauthorized access can occur through various means, including cyber attacks, insider threats, or inadvertent exposure of data due to misconfigurations or...
Decommissioning is the process of removing an asset from a company’s network and properly disposing of it or recycling it while ensuring that no information can be retrieved from it. It’s a common practice when upgrading hardware components such as servers, laptops, and entire data centers. Failure to decommission an asset properly means it remains...
Defense in depth, synonymous with layered security, is a fundamental principle in cybersecurity aimed at establishing multiple lines of defense to protect against a wide range of cyber threats and attacks. By deploying diverse security controls across different layers of an organization’s IT infrastructure, defense in depth seeks to create a comprehensive security posture that...
The Digital Supply Chain represents a fundamental shift in how businesses procure, produce, and distribute goods and services, driven by the widespread adoption of internet-based technologies and digital transformation initiatives. Traditionally, supply chains were characterized by physical goods and linear processes, but the advent of web-based services and applications has transformed these traditional models into...
Encryption stands as a fundamental security mechanism utilized to protect sensitive information and communications from unauthorized access and interception. By employing cryptographic algorithms, encryption transforms plaintext data into ciphertext, rendering it indecipherable to anyone without the appropriate decryption key. This process ensures data confidentiality and integrity, safeguarding it from eavesdropping, tampering, and unauthorized disclosure while...
An exploit is a code, command sequence, or program that takes advantage of a security flaw or vulnerability to gain access to an application or network. Hackers use exploits to steal data, install malware, or cause other unintended behavior.
An exposure is a misconfiguration or a flaw in a software application that enables threat actors to gain unauthorized access to an application or network.
False positives pose significant challenges for IT security teams, requiring careful attention and resources to distinguish between legitimate threats and erroneous alerts. While false positives are an inevitable aspect of security monitoring systems, their prevalence can overwhelm security teams, diverting valuable time and resources away from addressing genuine security threats. Moreover, the sheer volume of...
Your enterprise is aware of the risks it assumes when working with a third-party vendor. But what about the vendors used by those third parties? They have their own digital supply chain of vendors, IT infrastructures, dependencies, and resources. And each element in these supply chains exposes you to more and more potential risk. Multiply...
In the realm of attack surface management, an inactive asset represents a dormant yet latent vulnerability within an organization’s digital ecosystem. These internet-facing IT elements, while not actively utilized in current operations, remain interconnected with first-party, active assets, thereby extending the organization’s attack surface and potentially exposing it to cyber threats and malicious actors. Despite...
The proliferation of IoT devices presents both opportunities and challenges for organizations seeking to leverage the benefits of interconnected technologies while mitigating associated security risks. IoT devices, ranging from smart thermostats and wearable devices to industrial sensors and medical devices, introduce new entry points and attack vectors into organizational networks, expanding the attack surface and...
Known assets represent the identifiable components within an organization’s IT infrastructure that are recognized and acknowledged by the company’s IT management or security teams. These assets encompass a broad spectrum of digital resources, including hardware devices, software applications, network infrastructure, databases, and cloud services, among others, that are integral to the organization’s business operations and...
Layered security is a cybersecurity approach that implements multiple layers of security controls. If an attacker manages to get past one security control, they have one or more additional security measures to evade if they’re targeting a system with layered security. Think of the additional security layers as fail-safes or backup measures. Layered security is...
Legacy IT environments present significant challenges for organizations due to their outdated and often unsupported nature, increasing the risk of security vulnerabilities, system failures, and compatibility issues. Despite their critical role in supporting essential business functions, legacy systems may lack modern security features and updates, leaving them susceptible to exploitation by cybercriminals and malware attacks....
A malicious asset, also known as a rogue asset, is created by a threat actor or unauthorized user to target a company. Phishing websites or mobile applications designed to appear as those owned by the target company, typo-squatted domains, and stolen data sets shared or sold on the dark web are examples of malicious assets.
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) represent strategic initiatives undertaken by organizations to expand their market presence, diversify their product portfolios, or achieve synergies through business consolidation. However, M&A transactions inherently introduce complexities and risks, including cybersecurity concerns related to the expanded attack surface and integration of disparate IT environments. The combination of multiple business entities and...
Misconfiguration is when an application’s or system’s settings are not selected or improperly implemented, which can leave the application or system vulnerable to unauthorized access. Misconfiguration can occur in a network, application, cloud infrastructure, and any component with settings.
In the context of cybersecurity, mitigation is a damage control process that does not completely eradicate a vulnerability or threat but minimizes the potential negative consequences that could occur with a breach.
Network penetration testing plays a crucial role in assessing an organization’s security posture and identifying weaknesses that could be exploited by malicious actors. By simulating real-world attack scenarios, penetration testers can uncover vulnerabilities in network configurations, software systems, and user privileges, allowing organizations to prioritize remediation efforts and strengthen their defenses against cyber threats. Moreover,...
Network segmentation creates barriers between different areas of a network, allowing each subnetwork to function independently. It’s a strategy that helps to reduce the attack surface. If a threat actor manages to access one network segment, they could not access other segments or spread malware automatically throughout the entire network.
Nth parties pose the same risk to your enterprise as third parties but are significantly more difficult to track: they are the vendors, services, applications, and IT infrastructures of your vendors’ vendors. That’s right: they are connected to your organization by “nth” degrees of separation within your cyber supply chain.
While open source software offers numerous benefits, including transparency, flexibility, and community collaboration, organizations must also be aware of the associated security risks. The decentralized nature of open source development means that vulnerabilities may exist in widely used OSS components, leaving organizations vulnerable to supply chain attacks and exploitation by threat actors. To mitigate these...
Orphaned assets are IT assets that lack identifiable origins or connections and are not readily visible to security teams as a result. Examples include virtual machines that have no physical host and applications that have been abandoned and have no clear administrator or manager. These assets are often left exposed, making them ideal targets for...
A penetration test is a type of security test that simulates a hacker breaking into a network or system to evaluate the strength of a company’s security controls.
By adhering to the principle of least functionality, organizations can minimize the attack surface and mitigate the risk of unauthorized access or exploitation. This approach helps reduce the potential impact of security breaches and limits the avenues available to attackers seeking to compromise the system. Additionally, implementing the principle of least functionality can enhance system...
The principle of least privilege is a strategy that limits the access and capabilities of a user to the minimum necessary to perform their job duties. If a threat actor tricks a user into revealing their credentials, they cannot access higher-level functionality or data than the victim’s privileges allow.
Public key infrastructure (PKI) is a set of processes, hardware and software components, and other elements involved in managing digital certificates and public-key encryption. SSL certificates, for instance, are managed by PKI. These certificates assure website visitors that they’re sending information to the intended recipient. Several problems associated with PKI can create vulnerabilities, such as...
A red team comprises a group of IT professionals (either internal company employees or a third-party contractor) that simulates the potential actions of a threat actor to test a company’s cybersecurity posture. The individuals that compose a red team are also known as ethical hackers. Red teaming is the process of challenging every security control,...
Regulatory compliance in information and cybersecurity constitutes a vital framework for protecting sensitive data, preserving consumer privacy, and mitigating the risk of cyber threats across various industries and sectors. Regulatory requirements are established by governmental bodies, industry regulators, and standards organizations to enforce specific rules and standards aimed at safeguarding critical information assets and ensuring...
Remediation represents the comprehensive process of addressing and resolving identified risks or threats within an organization’s cybersecurity landscape. It involves implementing corrective measures and controls to eliminate vulnerabilities, mitigate potential harm, and strengthen the overall security posture. Remediation efforts aim to eradicate the root cause of security weaknesses and prevent their exploitation by threat actors,...
Beyond immediate financial impacts, reputational risk can have far-reaching consequences for an organization’s brand equity and market position. Mitigating reputational risk often requires multifaceted strategies, including prompt and transparent communication, swift resolution of issues, and proactive measures to prevent recurrence. Furthermore, investing in comprehensive security measures not only safeguards customer data but also fosters a...
Conducting a comprehensive cybersecurity risk assessment is critical for organizations to identify, prioritize, and mitigate potential threats and vulnerabilities to their information assets and systems. Beyond regulatory compliance requirements, risk assessments serve as proactive measures to enhance cybersecurity posture and resilience against evolving cyber threats and attacks. By systematically evaluating the organization’s IT infrastructure, processes,...
Risk indicators play a critical role in helping security teams assess and monitor the organization’s cybersecurity posture, identify potential threats and vulnerabilities, and prioritize remediation efforts to mitigate risks effectively. By tracking key risk indicators such as CVEs, certificate validity, unauthorized IT assets, and compliance status, security teams can gain insights into emerging security threats...
Cyber risk management constitutes a multifaceted approach adopted by IT professionals to proactively identify, assess, and mitigate cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities inherent in an organization’s digital infrastructure and operations. Central to this endeavor is the strategic prioritization of cybersecurity initiatives aimed at fortifying the organization’s resilience against evolving cyber threats and minimizing potential risks to...
Risk mitigation reduces the potential damage an organization will suffer when a breach occurs. While some risks will always be present when operating online, mitigation procedures are intended to reduce any damage that occurs when those risks turn into exploits. Part of a cybersecurity risk mitigation plan might also include communications and marketing procedures to...
Risk prioritization stands as a critical process within the realm of cybersecurity, enabling security professionals to methodically assess and categorize the multitude of vulnerabilities, threats, and security issues confronting their organization, thereby directing finite resources and efforts towards addressing the most significant and imminent risks. In the face of an ever-expanding threat landscape and resource...
Risk scoring plays a pivotal role in the cybersecurity risk management process, enabling security teams to assess and quantify the potential impact and likelihood of exploitation associated with identified vulnerabilities within an organization’s IT environment. By assigning numerical or categorical scores to vulnerabilities based on predefined criteria, such as the severity of the vulnerability, the...
Businesses always face some level of risk. Risk tolerance is the amount of risk the company is willing to accept. The risk tolerance threshold varies depending on factors such as the assets involved and the value of the data at risk.
A rogue asset, synonymous with the term malicious asset, represents a significant cybersecurity threat posed by assets within an organization’s IT infrastructure that have been compromised, created, or manipulated by threat actors with malicious intent. These assets may include compromised servers, infected endpoints, malicious software applications, or unauthorized network devices that are under the control...
Software-as-a-Service is a software delivery method. Users access SaaS via the internet rather than downloading and installing a software application on a device. SaaS products typically are sold on a subscription basis rather than a one-time purchase.
Security controls play a crucial role in safeguarding organizational assets and protecting against cybersecurity threats and attacks. By implementing a combination of technical, administrative, and physical controls, organizations can establish a robust security posture that encompasses prevention, detection, and response capabilities. These controls include measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, access controls, encryption, security...
Security monitoring is the process of continuously scanning a company’s IT systems and maintaining real-time or near-real-time awareness of the activities and events occurring within those systems. Security monitoring solutions alert security teams when abnormal activity is discovered, allowing them to investigate and respond to vulnerabilities and threats before they escalate into an incident that...
The cyber security risk assessment, as delineated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), serves as a fundamental cornerstone in safeguarding organizational operations, assets, and stakeholders against the myriad threats and vulnerabilities pervasive in today’s digital landscape. This comprehensive evaluation encompasses an exhaustive analysis of the risks inherent in the organization’s utilization of...
Shadow IT comprises information technology systems, such as devices, software, services, and applications employees are using without the explicit approval of the company’s IT department. It’s not being actively managed and monitored by the company’s security team, meaning shadow IT can introduce serious security vulnerabilities. Vulnerability scanners only scan what is known — the sources...
Social engineering is a sophisticated cyber attack method that uses manipulation and deception tactics to trick the victim into divulging sensitive information or providing access to information systems containing sensitive data. Social engineering comprises various attack methods such as phishing, ransomware, pretexting, and baiting, among others.
Spear phishing campaigns pose significant threats to organizations by exploiting human vulnerabilities and leveraging personalization tactics to deceive targets into divulging sensitive information or performing actions that benefit the attacker. Unlike traditional phishing attacks, which cast a wide net to target a broad audience, spear phishing campaigns are highly targeted and tailored to specific individuals...
Subsidiary assets are owned or managed by a company’s subsidiaries outside of the company’s networks. They may be known or unknown. In mergers and acquisitions, subsidiary assets are a prominent concern for parent companies. Attack surface management solutions offering robust digital supply chain discovery identify subsidiary assets, their connections, and any associated risks or vulnerabilities.
Digital supply chain risk management is a critical aspect of cybersecurity strategy, particularly in the context of modern business operations that rely heavily on digital technologies and interconnected networks of suppliers, vendors, and service providers. As organizations increasingly embrace digital transformation initiatives and migrate their business processes and applications to online platforms, the complexity and...
As organizations increasingly rely on third-party vendors for critical services and solutions, ensuring robust third-party security measures is paramount. This involves conducting thorough vendor assessments, evaluating their security posture and practices, and establishing clear security requirements in contractual agreements. Moreover, ongoing monitoring and auditing of vendors’ security controls are essential to identify and address potential...
Threat vectors encompass a wide range of techniques and tactics employed by cyber attackers to compromise the security of IT systems and networks. These may include: Exploiting software vulnerabilities Leveraging social engineering tactics such as phishing or pretexting Conducting brute force attacks to guess passwords Exploiting misconfigurations or weaknesses in network infrastructure Using malware such...
Effective TPRM encompasses not only implementing best practices but also maintaining robust oversight and governance mechanisms to ensure the ongoing security of external partnerships. Beyond protecting critical assets and sensitive information, TPRM involves thorough vendor assessments, contractual agreements with clear security requirements, regular monitoring of vendor compliance, and swift remediation of identified risks. By establishing...
An unknown asset is an element that exists within a company’s IT infrastructure without the company’s knowledge. Attack surface management solutions identify unknown assets, such as shadow IT, subsidiary assets, and orphaned apps.
A vendor-managed asset is an element of a company’s IT infrastructure controlled and managed by a vendor, so the company has no direct control over the asset. These assets may be known or unknown, and they can introduce serious vulnerabilities into the company’s network. Attack surface management solutions provide visibility into vendor-managed assets, how they’re...
Effective vendor risk management is essential for organizations to identify, assess, and mitigate the potential risks associated with third-party relationships and dependencies. Third-party vendors and suppliers play a crucial role in supporting business operations and delivering products and services, but they also introduce inherent risks, including data breaches, compliance violations, and operational disruptions. By implementing...
A vulnerability is a weakness in a company’s systems that provides opportunities for cyber attackers to gain unauthorized access and carry out successful cyber attacks. Vulnerabilities can exist in security policies, security controls, application configurations, code, open ports, and every other area of a company’s information systems.
Vulnerability assessments play a crucial role in identifying and prioritizing security weaknesses within an organization’s IT infrastructure and applications. By systematically scanning and analyzing systems, networks, and software components for known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations, vulnerability assessments provide valuable insights into potential security risks and exposures that could be exploited by threat actors. The assessment process...
Vulnerability management represents a comprehensive approach to safeguarding an organization’s IT infrastructure and digital assets from potential security threats and exploits by proactively identifying, assessing, and addressing vulnerabilities across the organization’s technology stack. It encompasses a range of processes, practices, and solutions aimed at systematically managing the entire vulnerability lifecycle, from initial discovery to remediation...
Vulnerability patching is the process of applying fixes to applications or systems that remediate a discovered vulnerability. They may be implemented as temporary mitigation efforts and incorporated into the next software release, or they may be permanent fixes that eradicate the vulnerability. Regularly checking for updates and installing the most current, secure software versions and...
Vulnerability scanning is an ongoing process of monitoring a company’s IT networks, systems, and software to identify potential security risks. Vulnerability scanning solutions automate this process and report on abnormal behavior discovered so security teams can take immediate action to remediate or mitigate vulnerabilities.
A data breach represents a critical security incident wherein sensitive information, such as personal data, financial records, or proprietary business information, is compromised or accessed by unauthorized individuals or entities without proper authorization. This unauthorized access can occur through various means, including cyber attacks, insider threats, or inadvertent exposure of data due to misconfigurations or...
Zero Trust represents a paradigm shift in cybersecurity strategy, challenging traditional notions of trust and security within corporate networks and information systems. Rooted in the principle of pervasive distrust, the Zero Trust model adopts a proactive and holistic approach to security, treating every user, device, application, and network segment as potentially compromised entities, regardless of...