In (almost) the blink of an eye, new cybersecurity technologies emerge to bolster or replace the incumbent. But how would you know whether one is replacing or strengthening?
Threat intelligence and threat hunting vs. Digital Risk Protection: What’s the difference?
While all three of these strategies aim to safeguard brands from online threats, they have different impacts on a business and involve varying levels of solutions for threats that are detected.
Frost & Sullivan explains that Digital Risk Protection is defined by its zoomed-out, large-scale view of all the threats facing a brand online, which can come from numerous platforms and manifest in different ways.
Threat intelligence involves gathering data regarding online risks currently facing companies and those expected to become more prevalent in the near future. Threat hunting adds some actions that can be taken based on the data obtained by threat intelligence, but it still doesn’t provide a way to leverage this information and move forward effectively.
For example, a company solely using threat intelligence and threat hunting may discover an urgent threat that requires immediate remediation. But they won’t have a built-in, automated way to launch that takedown. This critical action may even be limited in number (for example, to only three takedowns per quarter) or charged as an additional fee per takedown.
Because Digital Risk Protection encompasses threat hunting and threat intelligence, companies gain the benefit of those two aspects of cybersecurity as well. But if your company is only utilizing only threat hunting and threat intelligence, you're not doing sufficient digital risk protection.
Compared to threat intelligence and threat hunting, Digital Risk Protection is a far more advanced way of examining the online risks facing brands today, along with strategies for combating and remediating them.
With Digital Risk Protection, companies secure a game plan that not only gives them insights into what threats they’re facing but also serves as a pathway for combatting those risks as soon as they emerge. A major benefit of Digital Risk Protection is the fact that once a brand detects threats, it can immediately take action to combat them.
While Digital Risk Protection is a relatively new player in the world of cyber threats, it’s already proved extremely valuable for companies seeking an effective way to safeguard their bottom lines and brand reputations.
Digital Risk Protection: An in-depth look
Digital risk protection (DRP) is the practice of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks to an organization's assets, reputation, and operations across the digital landscape. That includes scanning websites, social media platforms, mobile applications, and other digital channels where threats are likely to originate.
DRP requires a proactive, comprehensive approach to protecting a brand from an array of digital risks, such as cyber threats, data breaches, phishing attacks, brand impersonation, and online fraud. Typically, DRP utilizes advanced technologies and techniques, such as machine learning, threat intelligence, and automated response mechanisms.
The goal of DRP is to provide organizations with a holistic view of their digital risk posture, enabling them to identify and prioritize threats and vulnerabilities, monitor and detect malicious activities, and respond quickly and effectively to mitigate the impact of digital attacks.
DRP is usually an element within a brand’s broader cybersecurity strategy and is becoming increasingly important as organizations rely more on digital channels to conduct their business.
The debate between threat hunting and threat intelligence is now obsolete. The reason?
CISOs and the industry as a whole are moving away from siloed brand protection initiatives to big-picture digital risk protection solutions, which are more holistic in nature and offer wider coverage and protection.
Because digital risk protection includes both threat hunting and threat intelligence, DRP is the superior option for brands, as it covers all their bases.
“Regardless of its form, DRP must be part of a mature cyber threat intelligence program. Before folding these two areas together, CISOs should approach DRP with a threat intelligence lifecycle approach,” says cybersecurity expert and analyst Jon Oltsik.
“Successful DRP programs will be driven by the creation of clear priority intelligence requirements (PIRs), strong analysis, customized intelligence reports, and continuous feedback,” he adds.
A solid digital risk protection solution must have the following capabilities:- Executive Impersonation Protection
- Dark Web Monitoring
- Incident Response and Remediation
- Cyber Threat Hunting
- Anti-Phishing
- Brand Protection
- Threat Intelligence
Why DRP gives you a competitive advantage
According to Frost & Sullivan, an effective DRP strategy gives your brand a leg up in a crowded market landscape, as you gain an advantage in remediating risks and threats.
Competitors who are still only engaging in threat hunting and/or threat intelligence are putting themselves behind, as they will take longer to respond to threats and engage in corrective actions, such as takedowns.
DRP provides organizations with the opportunity to remove fraudulent websites or listings on marketplaces within just a few minutes, sparing brands from serious challenges like revenue and reputation loss.
But Frost & Sullivan notes that not all DRP solutions are created equal. The success of a DRP solution changes depending upon several factors, including the Machine Learning/AI analysis tools used, the level of remediation available, automation capabilities, and the range of online assets that are being monitored.
How fast remediation occurs, the success rate of takedowns, and the raw number of takedowns offered, can provide important insights as to whether or not a DRP platform is actually effective.
Secure your brand’s future with DRP
Speaking of Frost and Sullivan, they ranked Branshield in the top 3 companies worldwide for fully protecting brands from digital threats.
Contact us today and learn more about how BrandShield’s Digital Risk Protection Services can safeguard your brand in the face of a rapidly evolving threat landscape.
