Guide for Detecting and Responding to Identity Threats

Aug 15, 2024The Hacker NewsIdentity Security / Threat Detection

Emerging Solutions for Detecting and Responding to Identity Threats

Addressing identity-based attacks effectively now includes the crucial role played by Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR). Threat actors have demonstrated their capacity to breach identity systems and pivot into various service environments. Solutions for Identity Threat Detection and Response improve the ability of organizations to identify suspicious or malevolent activities within their surroundings. These solutions empower security teams to answer the question, “What activities are currently happening in our environment concerning our identities?”

Human and Non-Human Identity Entities

The comprehensive ITDR Solution Guide covers both human and non-human entities. Human identities encompass the workforce (employees), guests (contractors), and vendors. Non-human identities include tokens, keys, service accounts, and bots. Multi-environment ITDR solutions are adept at recognizing and responding to risks associated with all identity entities, from Identity Providers (IdP) to Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS) layers, rather than just securing identities in isolated layers.

Key Capabilities of ITDR Solutions

An ITDR solution’s essential capabilities include:

1. Establishing a universal identity profile for all entities, covering human and non-human identities, activities across cloud service layers, as well as on-premises applications and services.
2. Aligning the static analysis, posture management, and configuration of these identities with their runtime activities in the environment.
3. Monitoring and tracing direct and indirect access pathways, monitoring activity across all identities within the environment.
4. Orchestrating multi-environment identity tracking and detections that encompass Identity Providers, IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and CI/CD applications to track identities across different parts of the environment.
5. Enabling high-fidelity detection and response across multiple environments, allowing organizations to take prompt action against identity threats spanning their entire attack surface, rather than reacting to numerous alerts triggered by individual events.

For a comprehensive list of ITDR capabilities, refer to the complete Identity Threat Detection and Response Solution Guide.

Scenarios of Identity Threats

To effectively shield against identity attacks, organizations should opt for an ITDR solution with advanced capacities to detect and counter such attacks. These capacities should encompass various use cases for human and non-human identities, including but not limited to:

1. Detection of Account Takeover: Identifying several variants indicating a compromised identity.
2. Detecting Credential Compromise: Recognizing and signaling the usage of stolen or compromised credentials within the ecosystem.
3. Identification of Privilege Escalation: Spotting unauthorized attempts to elevate privileges within systems and applications.
4. Detection of Anomalous Behavior: Monitoring deviations from normal user behavior suggesting potential malicious activities.
5. Discovery of Insider Threats: Pinpointing and responding to malevolent or negligent actions by internal users.

For a complete list of identity threat scenarios, refer to the entire Identity Threat Detection and Response Solution Guide.

Queries that a Robust ITDR Solution Must Address

1. Management of Identity Inventory and Access

What identities exist in our setting?

• An exhaustive inventory of human and non-human identities across all environments.

What roles and permissions are attributed to these identities?

• Details on roles, groups, and specific permissions granted to each identity in diverse cloud and on-premises environments.

Which role/group authorized a particular user’s access to a resource, and what is the extent of permissions for that access?

• Specifics on roles/groups and permissions facilitating resource access.

2. Evaluation of Risks and Detection of Anomalies

Which are the top 10 riskiest identities in our cloud services? What would be the potential ramifications if one of these identities were compromised?

• Identification of the most vulnerable identities and assessing the potential impact of their compromise.

Are there any irregularities in identity behavior?

• Spotting deviations from regular behavior patterns of each identity, signaling potential malicious activities.

Have any credentials been breached?

• Alerts about the use of stolen or compromised credentials within the environment.

3. Examination of Authentication and Access Patterns

How are identities authenticated and accessed?

• Tracking authentication methods and access routes for all identities, encompassing federated and non-federated access points.

What are the origins and destinations of login attempts?

• Detailed logs of login attempts, including IP addresses, geographical locations, and device information.

How are various entity types (human and non-human) accessing our current environment?

• Monitoring access patterns for different entity types within the environment.

What is the extent of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) implementation across applications and cloud services layers in our environment?

• Evaluation of the deployment and enforcement of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) across the environment.

4. Tracking Activities and Changes

Which alterations have occurred in our setting recently, who initiated these changes, and were similar changes made in other cloud services layers?

• Tracking and reporting recent modifications, responsible users, and cross-layer consistency.

Which identities have interacted with sensitive data or crucial systems?

• Monitoring and reporting on identity access to repositories of sensitive information, critical systems, and high-risk applications.

5. Incident Coordination and Response

How do incidents related to identities correlate across different environments?

• Connecting identity activities and incidents across Identity Providers, Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, Software as a Service, CI/CD, and on-premises environments to provide a unified perspective.

What steps should be taken to counter identified threats?

• Actionable recommendations and automated response strategies to combat detected identity threats and prevent future occurrences.

For a detailed list of questions and business scenarios, access the complete Identity Threat Detection and Response Solution Guide.