External Exposure Scanning for Third-Party Vulnerability Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vulnerability detection techniques are reactive and fail to scale with the increasing number of threats, particularly failing to identify vulnerabilities in external points of exposure associated with third-party systems that are not owned or controlled by the organization.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that execute a first scanning function to identify external points of exposure, followed by a secondary scanning function to detect vulnerabilities, and implement threat prevention procedures based on these exposures, using DNS scans and filtering to focus on publicly available data and third-party assets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional vulnerability detection techniques are used, then internal system weaknesses can be identified, but external points of exposure on third-party systems remain undetectable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by shifting from an internal viewpoint to an external viewpoint. Instead of scanning only systems owned by the organization, the system scans the broader internet and third-party networks to identify points of exposure that originate from external entities but affect the organization's security posture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary scanning system that acts as a bridge between the organization and external third-party systems. This intermediary system performs scans on behalf of the organization, identifying vulnerabilities on external systems without requiring direct access or control over those systems.
2Reliability
If scanning coverage is expanded to include third-party systems, then more vulnerabilities can be detected, but the complexity and resources required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the vulnerability detection process into distinct phases: initial scanning to identify points of exposure, filtering to eliminate false positives and irrelevant findings, and secondary scanning to verify vulnerabilities. This segmentation allows the system to manage complexity by breaking down the overwhelming task of comprehensive external scanning into manageable, sequential steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by focusing scanning efforts on specific targets identified through filtering rather than attempting to scan all possible external systems. The filtering step prioritizes points of exposure based on relevance to the organization, allowing the system to concentrate resources on the most critical vulnerabilities rather than exhaustively scanning every external entity.
3Loss of time
If reactive vulnerability detection is used, then infected systems are identified after malware installation, but proactive prevention of external threats is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by conducting external scans to identify points of exposure and potential vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them. By proactively detecting vulnerabilities on third-party systems that could lead to attacks against the organization, the system enables preventive measures to be taken before actual compromise occurs.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for identifying a vulnerability on a network are disclosed. The methods described herein may involve executing a first scanning function to obtain a first view of a network and then filtering the first view of the network for at least one point of exposure of a first entity that originates from a second entity. The methods described herein may further involve executing a secondary scanning function to identify any vulnerabilities of the first entity based on the point of exposure of the first entity that originates from the second entity and implementing a threat prevention procedure upon identifying a vulnerability of the first entity based on the point of exposure of the first entity that originates from the second entity.