Bitdefender - New Tool Identifies Hidden Internal Attack Paths

What It Does

Bitdefender has introduced the Internal Attack Surface Assessment, a complimentary evaluation designed to help organizations identify and mitigate hidden internal cyber risks. This innovative tool focuses on unnecessary user access to applications, tools, and operating system utilities that are often exploited in cyber attacks. By offering a data-driven view of an organization's internal attack surface, it provides actionable guidance to prioritize and remediate exposure effectively.

The assessment is particularly vital as businesses face increasing challenges from Living-Off-the-Land (LOTL) techniques, fileless malware, and other non-malware attack strategies. These tactics utilize legitimate operating system tools and trusted applications to breach systems while evading detection. In fact, analysis of over 700,000 real-world security incidents revealed that more than 84% of major attacks involved legitimate tools and LOTL techniques.

Key Features

The Internal Attack Surface Assessment offers several key benefits:

• Quantify internal risk at the user level: Organizations gain precise visibility into their attack surface exposure, assessing access to applications and tools against baseline behavior and real-time threat intelligence.
• Identify shadow IT and unauthorized tools: The tool uncovers shadow IT and unauthorized applications, highlighting unusual network activity and access attempts to company resources.
• Reduce the attack surface using actionable insights: Organizations receive tailored recommendations to mitigate risks and harden their internal attack surface, with options for manual or automatic application of controls.

This proactive approach can help organizations reduce their attack surface by up to 95%, significantly lowering exposure to modern attack techniques.

Who's Affected

Organizations of all sizes can benefit from the Bitdefender Internal Attack Surface Assessment. As cybercriminals increasingly exploit legitimate applications and system tools, companies must be vigilant in defending against these evolving threats. The assessment provides a clear, data-driven view of internal risks, enabling organizations to identify and close critical gaps in their security posture.

Andrei Florescu, president and GM at Bitdefender Business Solutions Group, emphasizes the importance of this tool: "Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting legitimate applications and system tools to bypass traditional defenses, creating a growing and often invisible attack surface that is difficult to defend."

How to Get Started

Organizations can easily enroll in the Bitdefender Internal Attack Surface Assessment. The process begins immediately, allowing companies to assess and monitor their environment without disrupting employees or daily operations. This seamless integration ensures that businesses can focus on enhancing their security posture without significant downtime.

By leveraging the power of Bitdefender GravityZone PHASR, which combines dynamic, behavior-based security hardening with real-time threat intelligence, organizations can effectively manage excessive user access and block unnecessary applications. This proactive security measure is essential in today's rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape.

In conclusion, the Bitdefender Internal Attack Surface Assessment is a crucial tool for organizations seeking to bolster their defenses against internal threats. By identifying hidden risks and providing actionable insights, it empowers businesses to take control of their security environment and proactively close attack paths before they can be exploited.