Find Your Digital Risk

“The next best thing to knowing something, is knowing where to find it.” : Samuel Johnson.

This is quite a fitting quote from the author of A Dictionary of the English Language and equally fitting today when it comes to understanding your digital risk.

There’s a great deal of intelligence organisations can find on the deep and dark web. Credit card numbers, bank account information, patient information and intellectual property are widely known to be for sale on forums. Now some of the intelligence is more eye opening. We’re seeing W-2 forms , and employee credentials available, making any organisation ripe for tax fraud or account takeover, respectively.

One of the most popular marketplaces on the dark web for such information is AlphaBay. Not only is information related to a company’s assets available, but information about new techniques to compromise targets is for sale as well. One of the latest is a tool to bypass SMS account verification, making multi-factor authentication that relies on SMS vulnerable.

On such forums you can also find configuration files for credential stuffing tools, like Sentry MBA, that are created for account takeover of specific companies. There are dozens of marketplaces on the dark web and competition for business is steep.

In fact, some less popular market-places offer botnets devised to spam AlphaBay users with advertisements or special promotions in an attempt to entice them to switch forums. Not all dark web sources are as readily accessible as AlphaBay, of course. Some require human analyst expertise to also gain access to closed sources to get the most relevant view of the risks.

But for all the notoriety of these marketplaces, it is also important to remember that criminal activity isn’t limited to the dark web, particularly given the fact that some countries don’t extradite cyber-criminals. With minimal consequences, bad actors have no incentive to hide.

As a result, cybercrime is an Internet-wide problem, almost equally present on the deep and open web. Deer.io is a prime example. This all-in-one outsourced online shop provides hosting, design (based on WordPress-like templates) and a payment solution. Additional items for sale on the marketplace include:

• Bot-registered social media accounts (usually sold in bulk), typically with the intent of supporting social media spam and artificially increasing the popularity of other accounts/posts

• Stolen, legitimate social media accounts, which are advertised in small quantity but at higher prices compared to bot-registered accounts

• “Coupons” to services that artificially increase the popularity of social media accounts or posts

• Stolen accounts from other services including banks, payment, and gift and loyalty cards

• Dedicated servers and domain names
The point is that criminal forums exist everywhere so focusing only on the dark web won’t give you a comprehensive view of your digital risk. Furthermore, it isn’t enough to simply detect mentions of company assets and concerns. You need context behind the information you see posted to have a better understanding of the actual risk to your organization. This requires a combination of technology and people.

Automated collection technology can provide visibility into incidents with context, as they happen, wherever they happen – across the open, deep and dark web. For example, being able to see previous posts by other users on the marketplace on the same thread or post can provide a deeper understanding of how your company, employees or customers may be impacted. It can also provide an overview of the user in question, with their name, data joined, activity levels and reputation.

Data scientists and intelligence experts are able to gain access to some closed sources that collection technology alone can’t penetrate and they need to be involved in qualifying the data collected. With enhanced analytic capabilities and additional context, they can help determine the potential impact to the organisation, a possible timeline of events, and recommended action.

A comprehensive assessment of your digital risk starts with knowing where to find it. With an approach that combines technology and human experts looking across the open, deep and dark web, you can understand not only where and when you are mentioned online, but also why, by whom and the likely impact to your organisation.

This breadth and depth of coverage is essential to protect against threats associated with forums and marketplaces and, ultimately, to formulate a successful digital risk management strategy.

Security Week:

You Might Also Read:

Cybersecurity Has A Metrics Problem:

Time To Speak The Language Of Risk:

 

« Half Of US Firms Do Not Buy Cyber Insurance
British Businesses Are Unaware Of Data Protection Laws »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

ZenGRC

ZenGRC

ZenGRC (formerly Reciprocity) is a leader in the GRC SaaS landscape, offering robust and intuitive products designed to make compliance straightforward and efficient.

IT Governance

IT Governance

IT Governance is a leading global provider of information security solutions. Download our free guide and find out how ISO 27001 can help protect your organisation's information.

Clayden Law

Clayden Law

Clayden Law advise global businesses that buy and sell technology products and services. We are experts in information technology, data privacy and cybersecurity law.

Directory of Cyber Security Suppliers

Directory of Cyber Security Suppliers

Our Supplier Directory lists 7,000+ specialist cyber security service providers in 128 countries worldwide. IS YOUR ORGANISATION LISTED?

XYPRO Technology

XYPRO Technology

XYPRO is the market leader in HPE Non-Stop Security, Risk Management and Compliance.

Actiphy

Actiphy

Actiphy provides a tried and proven backup and disaster recovery software solution to ensure business continuity at all times.

Bayshore Networks

Bayshore Networks

Bayshore Networks was founded to safely and securely protect Industrial IoT (IIoT) networks, applications, machines and workers from cyber threats.

7Safe

7Safe

7Safe has been delivering hands-on digital security training courses since 2001 and offer e a portfolio of university and industry-accredited courses.

Cyanre

Cyanre

Cyanre delivers state of the art cyber forensic services through software technologies and procedures that exceed conformities of major law enforcement agencies across the globe.

Centurion Information Security

Centurion Information Security

Centurion Information Security is a consulting firm based in Singapore that specialises in penetration testing and security assessment services.

Cygilant

Cygilant

Cygilant is a SOC2 certified service provider that combines MSSP and Incident Detection and Response (IDR) capabilities managed by global SOCs staffed with trained security engineers.

CSIRT GOV - Poland

CSIRT GOV - Poland

Computer Security Incident Response Team CSIRT GOV, run by the Head of the Internal Security Agency, acts as the national CSIRT responsible for coordinating the response to computer incidents.

Sonda

Sonda

SONDA is the leading systems integrator and IT service provider in Latin America.

SafeCipher

SafeCipher

At SafeCipher, we pride ourselves on being your single vendor-neutral resource for navigating the complexities of cryptographic data encryption.

Internet 2.0

Internet 2.0

Internet 2.0 is a Cyber Security technology company with a core focus on developing affordable but sophisticated cyber security solutions.

Tugboat Logic

Tugboat Logic

Tugboat Logic was created to address the skills and expertise gap in the security and compliance industry. Our goal is to simplify and automate information security management for every enterprise.

Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)

Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)

Creative Destruction Lab is a nonprofit organization that delivers an objectives-based program for massively scalable, seed-stage, science- and technology-based companies.

Transatlantic Cyber Security Business Network

Transatlantic Cyber Security Business Network

The Transatlantic Cyber Security Business Network is a coalition of UK and US cyber security companies which facilitates collaboration to help address critical cyber security challenges.

Zanutix Consulting

Zanutix Consulting

Zanutix specialize in a wide range of services including Network Design and Implementation, Data Management, Cloud Solutions, Software Development and Cybersecurity.

CompassMSP

CompassMSP

CompassMSP deliver Managed IT and cybersecurity solutions designed to unleash your business's full potential.

National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) - India

National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) - India

NCIIPC's mission is to protect the Critical Information Infrastructure of India, from unauthorized access, modification, use, disclosure, disruption, incapacitation or destruction.