A Mini-Guide to Corporate Cyber Forensics

In a world where cyber crime is booming like never before, it is crucial for companies to up their cyber defense game. An important step towards improved corporate cyber security is the strengthening of security postures by using the latest hardware and software defenses.

However, this approach – waiting for the attacker to come to you – doesn’t always work. Cyber criminals have carried out successful attacks on organizations that have huge cyber security budgets and who have strong cyber security postures.

More needs to be done and the good news is that it can be done, through corporate cyber forensics.

This involves monitoring the internet to gather threat intelligence and develop real-time situational awareness on potential attacks. Rather than wait for the attackers at their gates and walls, organizations can use web intelligence to thwart attacks before they happen.

Such a proactive approach increases the success of corporate protection security efforts.

This article shows how corporates can use web intelligence to beef up their corporate protection security.

Why a Web Intelligence Platform Is a Must-Have for Corporates 

The Web Plays a Crucial Role in Cybercrime 

One of the contributing factors to the rise of cybercrime is the internet. It is one of the most valuable resources to threat actors, whether they are lone wolves or are in organizations.

It is through the internet that knowledge and skills on how to successfully orchestrate attacks are shared. When new ways to take advantage of breaches are discovered, they are shared on the internet.

What is more, the malware used to perform attacks can be effortlessly and anonymously purchased on the internet. In addition, the web is used to distribute user credentials that could be exploited to gain access to organizations.

And when the results of an attack are successful, the breached data is shared through the dark web, from where it can be used by multiple actors to further damage organizations, their employees, or their customers.

But just how does web intelligence assist corporate protection security efforts?

Reliable Threat Intelligence

What is Threat Intelligence?  

Intelligence is one of the most important tools in any defense strategy. If a threat actor’s intentions and methods can be determined before they plan an attack, it’s easy to stop an attack. On the other hand, if an organization is blind, not only to a specific threat actor’s information but also to general threat intelligence, then it becomes difficult to defend against attacks.

Threat intelligence is any information that helps an organization defend itself against cyber attacks. It can be internal, like documentation of network vulnerabilities or a record of historical attempts and successful attacks.

It can be general, like industry-specific information about trending attack tactics and the vulnerabilities being exploited in certain types of companies.

It can also be case-specific, like information about a threat actor, their networks, their preferred tactics, and their motivation.

How Corporate Cyber Forensics Helps with Threat Intelligence

Web investigation platforms are made up of AI-powered software. Artificial intelligence is the only way to sift through and make sense of the massive data generated in various levels of the internet.

Data from the surface web, deep web, and dark web is collected and analyzed through Natural Language Processing. This helps make sense of the data and structure it according to objects and events.

By monitoring data from all levels of the web, multiple insights can be gleaned. Communication on various dark web forums can be monitored and alerts generated at the mention of certain keywords. The activity of threat actors on multiple platforms can help deanonymize them. In addition, the tracking of transactions and chatter using a dark web forensics platform can help predict attacks.

Increased Effectiveness of Digital Risk Protection Efforts 

Corporates are exposed to a myriad of threats, both online and offline, all of which can result in significant consequences. These include loss of business and therefore revenue, damage to an organization’s brand, and exposure to lawsuits as a result of data breaches.

To protect against such consequences, it is important to maintain situational awareness. With a web intelligence platform, this can be done easily and efficiently.

Situational awareness helps companies perform reputation analysis and take the required action before incidences spin out of control. Such sentiment can also be useful in guiding corporate policy on issues that touch the public.

In times of crisis, having real-time data flowing in from multiple sources can prove invaluable.

Data Leak Prevention and Mitigation 

One of the most significant advantages of a dark web forensics platform is that it helps stay on top of data leaks.

Data leaks can be damaging. Sometimes, threat actors successfully exploit a breach without being detected and manage to make away with sensitive information, including personal identifiable information.

Such data can be used to orchestrate more damaging attacks against an organization. It can also be used against the organization’s employees, customers, and other partners.

Detecting a data leak early can prevent a lot of damage, which is where a dark web forensics platform comes in.

A good portion of leaked data is disseminated on the dark web. Typically, after a breach, threat actors may advertise the acquired data on dark web platforms to get buyers.

With a web investigation platform, an organization will instantly be alerted if its data is being advertised. This gives the organization a chance to step in and take action to prevent further damage. It also prompts the organization to take measures to deal with vulnerabilities that they may have been blind to.