Zero in on cyber assets in your business ecosystem

2018 proved to be a tough year for OXO International, as a data breach exposed sensitive personal data of thousands of its customers. Over the course of two years, malicious code installed on the manufacturer’s e-commerce platform exposed information like names, addresses, and credit card data. As a household name in the kitchen goods space, OXO faced irreparable reputation damage and financial losses. Today, businesses across industries face similar cybersecurity malaise.

Our latest analyses show that Manufacturing, Critical Infrastructure, Process Industry and Healthcare organizations will rank high on attacker priority lists this year. A host of sophisticated cyber threats like the use of AI and machine learning for cyberattacks loom on the near horizon. At the same time, many businesses face weakening defenses.

For example, issues like less regulated remote access, bring your own device (BYOD) usage, and IoT rollouts became common during the pandemic. Shadow IT is another concern as employees use unauthorized software, hardware, or cloud services. It can lead to data breaches, sensitive information loss, and regulatory non-compliance. At the same time, information security became a victim of budget cuts. These create easy infrastructure entry points for malicious actors.

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Cyber Asset 101

Today, businesses of all shapes and sizes must minimize information security blind spots with comprehensive cyber asset discovery, inventory, categorization and risk rating capabilities. So, what is a cyber asset?

It is possible to term most components that go into making your organization’s IT infrastructure as a cyber asset. This includes hardware, software, computers, gadgets, connectivity, smart devices, IoT, IoMT, and even social media channels. This scope extends even to the vendors which host your cloud-based business apps, advertising assets, and outsourced professional services (like legal or financial firms). Each of these components can be gateways to your corporate digital infrastructure for malicious actors.

Identification, tracking and documentation of all cyber assets is critical for the development of an effective cyber security strategy. Post categorization of each asset, corresponding weighted risks can be assigned for its exposure to cyber threats.

Now, what does the cyber asset identification term mean from an information security perspective? To answer this, it is essential to classify cyber assets into:

1.???? Internal assets

2.???? Third party assets

3.???? Fourth party assets

4.???? External assets

Our downloadable cheat sheet with common cyber asset types will make things easier on this front. It is available on Figure: Your Handy Cyber Asset Classification Model Cheat Sheet.

Discover, categorize, assess

Cyber asset identification is the first step of every information security strategy. This calls for in-time identification of various assets and their respective locations. Cyber asset identification also helps businesses in terms of cybersecurity effort prioritization and resource allocation. Organizations can minimize risks like unauthorized access and loss of sensitive data with the help of an up-to-date assets inventory.

While cyber asset identification and classification seem easy, it often brings unexpected surprises. These can be in the form of a senior executive’s eBook reader or the pantry’s smart refrigerator connected to internal Wi-Fi networks. The advent of smart lights, thermostats, HVAC systems, AI-enabled webcams, or even continuous glucose monitoring devices further expands the scope of possible attack surfaces. While most of these devices are connected after signoffs, many slip through the cracks during cyber asset identification exercises.

Similar cyber asset classification challenges exist in software and development environments. These include servers running on hypervisors, public APIs, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) usage, and virtual desktop infrastructure. With cloud computing’s stronghold deepening in corporate networks, cyber asset inventories must also account for public and private cloud assets. These assets are often difficult to identify and classify in terms of risk propensity.

Social media usage brings its own unique cyber asset identification challenges. These channels can become conduits for social engineering attacks like Honeytraps or malware installation. While organizations often set up social media usage policies, enforcement of these mandates can be tough in real world conditions.

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Need for attack surface management

Cyber attack surface management is essential to proactively manage and minimize the risks that go with a security breach. This is highly relevant considering the rise in cyber threats and vulnerabilities.

Deployment of a Cyber Asset Attack Surface Management Platform (CAASM) streamlines aspects like asset discovery, inventory, categorization, and risk rating. A CAASM platform automates aspects like:

·?????? Identification of all potential attack points

·?????? Accurate detection of cyber assets

·?????? Continuous asset inventory and behavior assessments

·?????? Vulnerability assessments

·?????? Security control implementation

·?????? System monitoring

·?????? Device communication visibility

At Culinda, we understand your need for a single-stop approach to cyber asset identification, real-time visibility, and management. Reach out to us for more information on how to gain cyber asset discovery, inventory, categorization and risk rating that meet your unique business needs.