Domain Trust Discovery

Detection of Domain Trust Discovery via API, Script, and CLI Enumeration

Audit: Auditing is the process of recording activity and systematically reviewing and analyzing the activity and system configurations. The primary purpose of auditing is to detect anomalies and identify potential threats or weaknesses in the environment. Proper auditing configurations can also help to meet compliance requirements. The process of auditing encompasses regular analysis of user behaviors and system logs in support of proactive security measures.

Auditing is applicable to all systems used within an organization, from the front door of a building to accessing a file on a fileserver. It is considered more critical for regulated industries such as, healthcare, finance and government where compliance requirements demand stringent tracking of user and system activates.This mitigation can be implemented through the following measures:

System Audit:

• Use Case: Regularly assess system configurations to ensure compliance with organizational security policies.
• Implementation: Use tools to scan for deviations from established benchmarks.

Permission Audits:

• Use Case: Review file and folder permissions to minimize the risk of unauthorized access or privilege escalation.
• Implementation: Run access reviews to identify users or groups with excessive permissions.

Software Audits:

• Use Case: Identify outdated, unsupported, or insecure software that could serve as an attack vector.
• Implementation: Use inventory and vulnerability scanning tools to detect outdated versions and recommend secure alternatives.

Configuration Audits:

• Use Case: Evaluate system and network configurations to ensure secure settings (e.g., disabled SMBv1, enabled MFA).
• Implementation: Implement automated configuration scanning tools like SCAP (Security Content Automation Protocol) to identify non-compliant systems.

Network Audits:

• Use Case: Examine network traffic, firewall rules, and endpoint communications to identify unauthorized or insecure connections.
• Implementation: Utilize tools such as Wireshark, or Zeek to monitor and log suspicious network behavior.

Network Segmentation: Network segmentation involves dividing a network into smaller, isolated segments to control and limit the flow of traffic between devices, systems, and applications. By segmenting networks, organizations can reduce the attack surface, restrict lateral movement by adversaries, and protect critical assets from compromise.

Effective network segmentation leverages a combination of physical boundaries, logical separation through VLANs, and access control policies enforced by network appliances like firewalls, routers, and cloud-based configurations. This mitigation can be implemented through the following measures:

Segment Critical Systems:

• Identify and group systems based on their function, sensitivity, and risk. Examples include payment systems, HR databases, production systems, and internet-facing servers.
• Use VLANs, firewalls, or routers to enforce logical separation.

Implement DMZ for Public-Facing Services:

• Host web servers, DNS servers, and email servers in a DMZ to limit their access to internal systems.
• Apply strict firewall rules to filter traffic between the DMZ and internal networks.

Use Cloud-Based Segmentation:

• In cloud environments, use VPCs, subnets, and security groups to isolate applications and enforce traffic rules.
• Apply AWS Transit Gateway or Azure VNet peering for controlled connectivity between cloud segments.

Apply Microsegmentation for Workloads:

• Use software-defined networking (SDN) tools to implement workload-level segmentation and prevent lateral movement.

Restrict Traffic with ACLs and Firewalls:

• Apply Access Control Lists (ACLs) to network devices to enforce "deny by default" policies.
• Use firewalls to restrict both north-south (external-internal) and east-west (internal-internal) traffic.

Monitor and Audit Segmented Networks:

• Regularly review firewall rules, ACLs, and segmentation policies.
• Monitor network flows for anomalies to ensure segmentation is effective.

Test Segmentation Effectiveness:

• Perform periodic penetration tests to verify that unauthorized access is blocked between network segments.