Solution Guide for Detecting and Responding to Identity Threats

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

The Rise of Solutions for Detecting and Responding to Identity Threats

Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) has become an essential element in efficiently identifying and dealing with attacks based on identities. Malicious actors have demonstrated their capacity to breach the identity framework and progress through IaaS, SaaS, PaaS, and CI/CD environments. Solutions for detecting and responding to identity threats aid organizations in detecting suspicious or malevolent activities within their ecosystem. These solutions empower security teams to address the query “What activities are ongoing in my environment – how are identities behaving in my surroundings.”

Human and Non-Human Identity Categories

As specified in the ITDR Solution Guide, all-encompassing ITDR solutions encompass both human and non-human identities. Human identities consist of the workforce (employees), guests (contractors), and vendors. Non-human identities include tokens, keys, service accounts, and bots. ITDR solutions adaptable to multiple environments can identify and manage the risk associated with identity entities, from the IdP to the IaaS and SaaS tiers, rather than securing identities in isolated levels specific to a layer.

Key Capabilities of ITDR Solutions

The fundamental functions of an ITDR solution comprise:

1. Generation of a universal identity profile for all entities, encompassing human and non-human identities, activities across cloud service strata, and on-prem apps and services.
2. Combination of static analysis, posture control, and configuration of these identities with real-time activities of those identities within the environment.
3. Surveillance and tracing of direct and indirect access routes and monitoring the activities of all identities throughout the ecosystem.
4. Coordination of multi-environment identity tracing and detection spanning identity providers, IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and CI/CD apps to track the identity’s movement within the environment.
5. High-fidelity detection and response across multiple environments enabling organizations to act on identity threats as they materialize across the complete attack surface, instead of reacting to high-volume, isolated alerts based on individual incidents.

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

Use Cases for Identity Threats

To effectively shield against identity attacks, organizations must select an ITDR solution with advanced functionalities to identify and mitigate attacks. These functions should address a variety of scenarios for both human and non-human identities, including but not limited to:

1. Detection of Account Takeovers: Spotting various indications signaling a compromised identity.
2. Detection of Credential Compromises: Recognizing and notifying about the utilization of pilfered or compromised credentials within the environment.
3. Detection of Privilege Escalation: Spotting unauthorized attempts to elevate privileges within systems and applications.
4. Detection of Anomalous Behavior: Monitoring deviations from standard user behavior indicating potential malicious activities.
5. Identification of Insider Threats: Recognizing and responding to malevolent or negligent actions by internal users.

For an exhaustive list of identity threat use cases, access the full Identity Threat Detection and Response Solution Guide.

Essential Inquiries Addressed by an Effective ITDR Solution

1. INVENTORY OF IDENTITIES AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT

Which identities exist in our environment?

• A comprehensive inventory of human and non-human identities across all environments.

What are the roles and permissions assigned to these identities?

• Detailed information on roles, groups, and specific permissions allocated to each identity across diverse cloud and on-premises environments.

Which role/group granted a specific user access to a resource, and what authorization level was designated for that access?

• Specifics regarding roles/groups and permissions granting access to resources.

2. EVALUATION OF RISKS AND DETECTION OF ANOMALIES

Which are the top 10 riskiest identities across my cloud services segment? What would be the potential impact if any of these identities were compromised?

• Identification of the most vulnerable identities and assessment of the potential consequences of their compromise.

Are there any unusual patterns in identity behavior?

• Discovery of deviations from regular behavioral patterns exhibited by each identity, indicating potential malicious activities.

Have any credentials been jeopardized?

• Alerts concerning the usage of stolen or compromised credentials within the environment.

3. AUTHENTICATION PROCESSES AND ACCESS PATTERNS

How are identities being verified and accessed?

• Tracing authentication methodologies and access routes for all identities, including federated and non-federated access points.

What are the origins and locations of login attempts?

• Detailed records of login attempts, comprising IP addresses, geographic locations, and device specifics.

How is the current environment accessed by various entity types (human and non-human)?

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

To what extent is MFA enforced across different applications and cloud service levels in the environment?

• Evaluation of the implementation and enforcement of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) across the ecosystem.

4. MONITORING ACTIVITY AND TRACKING CHANGES

What alterations have been executed in the environment, who is accountable for them, and have similar changes been made in other cloud services segments?

• Monitoring and reporting recent modifications, responsible parties, and consistency across layers.

Which identities have interacted with sensitive data or critical systems?

• Surveillance and notification regarding identity interactions with sensitive data repositories, critical systems, and high-risk applications.

5. INCIDENT COORDINATION AND RESPONSE

How do incidents related to identities correlate across diverse environments?

• Identifying correlations between identity activities and incidents spanning IdP, IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, CI/CD, and on-prem environments to provide a unified perspective.

What measures should be taken to mitigate identified threats?

• Actionable suggestions and automated response choices to alleviate identified identity threats and prevent future incidents.

For a complete list of inquiries and business scenarios, refer to the complete Identity Threat Detection and Response Solution Guide.