CTEM Implementation: A Step-by-Step Guide to Madness

Implementing ‎CTEM‏ ‎involves ‎a ‎systematic ‎five-step ‎process‏ ‎that ‎helps‏ ‎organizations‏ ‎proactively ‎manage ‎and‏ ‎mitigate ‎cybersecurity‏ ‎risks. ‎Implementing ‎CTEM ‎is‏ ‎a‏ ‎continuous ‎cycle,‏ ‎as ‎the‏ ‎threat ‎landscape ‎is ‎always ‎evolving.‏ ‎Organizations‏ ‎must ‎regularly‏ ‎revisit ‎each‏ ‎step ‎to ‎adapt ‎to ‎new‏ ‎threats‏ ‎and‏ ‎changes ‎in‏ ‎their ‎digital‏ ‎environment:

📌 Scoping: ‎This‏ ‎initial‏ ‎phase ‎is‏ ‎about ‎defining ‎what ‎needs ‎to‏ ‎be ‎protected‏ ‎within‏ ‎the ‎organization. ‎It‏ ‎involves ‎understanding‏ ‎the ‎assets, ‎systems, ‎and‏ ‎data‏ ‎that ‎are‏ ‎critical ‎to‏ ‎the ‎business ‎and ‎could ‎be‏ ‎potential‏ ‎targets ‎for‏ ‎cyber ‎threats

📌 Discovery:‏ ‎In ‎this ‎stage, ‎the ‎organization‏ ‎actively‏ ‎seeks‏ ‎out ‎and‏ ‎identifies ‎vulnerabilities‏ ‎and ‎weaknesses‏ ‎in‏ ‎the ‎scoped‏ ‎assets. ‎This ‎includes ‎using ‎tools‏ ‎and ‎technologies‏ ‎to‏ ‎scan ‎for ‎and‏ ‎analyze ‎potential‏ ‎security ‎issues ‎across ‎the‏ ‎organization's‏ ‎attack ‎surface,‏ ‎which ‎encompasses‏ ‎external, ‎internal, ‎and ‎cloud ‎environments

📌 Prioritization:‏ ‎After‏ ‎discovering ‎vulnerabilities,‏ ‎the ‎next‏ ‎step ‎is ‎to ‎prioritize ‎them‏ ‎based‏ ‎on‏ ‎their ‎potential‏ ‎impact ‎on‏ ‎the ‎business.‏ ‎This‏ ‎involves ‎assessing‏ ‎the ‎severity, ‎exploitability, ‎and ‎the‏ ‎criticality ‎of‏ ‎the‏ ‎potential ‎impact ‎to‏ ‎the ‎business,‏ ‎as ‎well ‎as ‎any‏ ‎compensating‏ ‎security ‎controls

📌 Validation:‏ ‎This ‎phase‏ ‎is ‎crucial ‎for ‎ensuring ‎that‏ ‎the‏ ‎organization's ‎vulnerability‏ ‎to ‎threats‏ ‎has ‎been ‎accurately ‎assessed ‎and‏ ‎that‏ ‎the‏ ‎remediation ‎operations‏ ‎are ‎effective.‏ ‎It ‎typically‏ ‎involves‏ ‎practices ‎like‏ ‎penetration ‎testing ‎and ‎Red ‎Team‏ ‎exercises ‎to‏ ‎simulate‏ ‎attacks ‎and ‎validate‏ ‎the ‎protections‏ ‎in ‎place

📌 Mobilization: ‎The ‎final‏ ‎step‏ ‎involves ‎operationalizing‏ ‎the ‎findings‏ ‎from ‎the ‎CTEM ‎process. ‎This‏ ‎means‏ ‎putting ‎in‏ ‎place ‎the‏ ‎necessary ‎actions ‎to ‎correct ‎identified‏ ‎risks‏ ‎and‏ ‎ensuring ‎that‏ ‎all ‎teams‏ ‎within ‎the‏ ‎organization‏ ‎are ‎informed‏ ‎and ‎aligned ‎with ‎the ‎security‏ ‎efforts. ‎This‏ ‎may‏ ‎include ‎automating ‎mitigation‏ ‎through ‎integration‏ ‎with ‎SIEM ‎and ‎SOAR‏ ‎platforms,‏ ‎as ‎well‏ ‎as ‎establishing‏ ‎communication ‎standards ‎and ‎documented ‎cross-team‏ ‎workflows

Scoping‏ ‎phase

📌 The ‎scoping‏ ‎phase ‎is‏ ‎the ‎initial ‎stage ‎in ‎the‏ ‎CTEM‏ ‎framework.‏ ‎It ‎involves‏ ‎defining ‎the‏ ‎scope ‎of‏ ‎the‏ ‎CTEM ‎program,‏ ‎determining ‎which ‎systems, ‎assets, ‎and‏ ‎infrastructure ‎segments‏ ‎will‏ ‎be ‎included, ‎and‏ ‎identifying ‎the‏ ‎stakeholders ‎who ‎will ‎be‏ ‎involved.

📌 During‏ ‎this ‎stage,‏ ‎security ‎teams‏ ‎need ‎to ‎understand ‎what ‎matters‏ ‎most‏ ‎to ‎their‏ ‎business ‎in‏ ‎order ‎to ‎define ‎the ‎scope.‏ ‎This‏ ‎includes‏ ‎identifying ‎the‏ ‎key ‎attack‏ ‎surfaces ‎where‏ ‎vulnerabilities‏ ‎can ‎be‏ ‎managed. ‎The ‎scoping ‎process ‎ensures‏ ‎accurate ‎identification‏ ‎of‏ ‎critical ‎and ‎vulnerable‏ ‎systems, ‎which‏ ‎makes ‎it ‎the ‎foundational‏ ‎step‏ ‎in ‎devising‏ ‎security ‎measures.

📌 The‏ ‎scoping ‎stage ‎forms ‎the ‎foundation‏ ‎of‏ ‎the ‎CTEM‏ ‎program ‎and‏ ‎is ‎essential ‎to ‎its ‎overall‏ ‎success‏ ‎as‏ ‎it ‎establishes‏ ‎the ‎framework‏ ‎for ‎the‏ ‎subsequent‏ ‎stages. ‎It‏ ‎is ‎crucial ‎to ‎include ‎all‏ ‎relevant ‎areas‏ ‎under‏ ‎the ‎scope ‎of‏ ‎CTEM, ‎such‏ ‎as ‎external ‎attack ‎surfaces‏ ‎and‏ ‎cloud ‎environments,‏ ‎to ‎avoid‏ ‎leaving ‎any ‎potential ‎breach ‎points‏ ‎exposed.

Discovery‏ ‎phase

📌 The ‎Discovery‏ ‎phase ‎is‏ ‎the ‎second ‎stage ‎in ‎the‏ ‎CTEM‏ ‎framework.‏ ‎This ‎phase‏ ‎involves ‎identifying‏ ‎and ‎cataloging‏ ‎all‏ ‎vulnerable ‎resources‏ ‎within ‎the ‎organization, ‎such ‎as‏ ‎hardware, ‎software,‏ ‎databases,‏ ‎and ‎network ‎infrastructure.

📌 During‏ ‎the ‎Discovery‏ ‎phase, ‎businesses ‎use ‎a‏ ‎wide‏ ‎variety ‎of‏ ‎IT ‎discovery‏ ‎tools ‎and ‎methods ‎to ‎audit‏ ‎all‏ ‎their ‎IT‏ ‎resources. ‎This‏ ‎often ‎includes ‎conducting ‎vulnerability ‎assessments,‏ ‎penetration‏ ‎testing,‏ ‎and ‎other‏ ‎security ‎audits.‏ ‎The ‎goal‏ ‎is‏ ‎to ‎actively‏ ‎seek ‎out ‎and ‎identify ‎potential‏ ‎vulnerabilities ‎within‏ ‎the‏ ‎organization's ‎systems ‎and‏ ‎assets.

📌 It's ‎important‏ ‎to ‎involve ‎a ‎diverse‏ ‎team‏ ‎of ‎experts‏ ‎in ‎the‏ ‎discovery ‎stage, ‎including ‎IT ‎personnel,‏ ‎security‏ ‎personnel, ‎and‏ ‎other ‎employees‏ ‎who ‎may ‎have ‎a ‎unique‏ ‎perspective‏ ‎on‏ ‎potential ‎vulnerabilities.‏ ‎This ‎ensures‏ ‎that ‎all‏ ‎potential‏ ‎threats ‎are‏ ‎identified ‎and ‎evaluated.

📌 The ‎Discovery ‎phase‏ ‎serves ‎as‏ ‎the‏ ‎bridge ‎between ‎the‏ ‎Scoping ‎and‏ ‎Prioritization ‎phases ‎in ‎the‏ ‎CTEM‏ ‎process. ‎After‏ ‎the ‎Scoping‏ ‎phase, ‎where ‎the ‎key ‎attack‏ ‎surfaces‏ ‎and ‎stakeholders‏ ‎are ‎identified,‏ ‎the ‎Discovery ‎phase ‎focuses ‎on‏ ‎the‏ ‎in-detail‏ ‎identification ‎of‏ ‎all ‎assets‏ ‎and ‎vulnerabilities.

Prioritization‏ ‎phase

📌 The‏ ‎Prioritization ‎phase‏ ‎is ‎the ‎third ‎stage ‎in‏ ‎the ‎CTEM‏ ‎framework.‏ ‎This ‎phase ‎is‏ ‎crucial ‎as‏ ‎it ‎helps ‎organizations ‎identify‏ ‎what‏ ‎high-value ‎assets‏ ‎need ‎to‏ ‎be ‎prioritized, ‎as ‎not ‎everything‏ ‎can‏ ‎be ‎protected‏ ‎at ‎once.

📌 During‏ ‎the ‎Prioritization ‎phase, ‎organizations ‎evaluate‏ ‎the‏ ‎potential‏ ‎vulnerabilities ‎identified‏ ‎in ‎the‏ ‎Discovery ‎phase‏ ‎based‏ ‎on ‎how‏ ‎likely ‎they ‎are ‎to ‎be‏ ‎exploited ‎and‏ ‎the‏ ‎potential ‎impact ‎this‏ ‎would ‎have‏ ‎on ‎the ‎organization. ‎This‏ ‎involves‏ ‎assessing ‎the‏ ‎severity, ‎exploitability,‏ ‎and ‎the ‎criticality ‎of ‎the‏ ‎potential‏ ‎impact ‎to‏ ‎the ‎business,‏ ‎as ‎well ‎as ‎any ‎compensating‏ ‎security‏ ‎controls.

📌 The‏ ‎primary ‎purpose‏ ‎of ‎prioritization‏ ‎is ‎to‏ ‎create‏ ‎a ‎task‏ ‎list ‎to ‎reduce ‎risk ‎efficiently.‏ ‎This ‎enables‏ ‎organizations‏ ‎to ‎optimally ‎allocate‏ ‎their ‎resources,‏ ‎ensuring ‎effective ‎utilization. ‎Prioritization‏ ‎helps‏ ‎organizations ‎determine‏ ‎which ‎assets‏ ‎are ‎most ‎critical ‎and ‎need‏ ‎the‏ ‎highest ‎level‏ ‎of ‎protection.

📌 The‏ ‎Prioritization ‎phase ‎is ‎an ‎ongoing‏ ‎process‏ ‎that‏ ‎involves ‎continually‏ ‎assessing, ‎ranking,‏ ‎and ‎selecting‏ ‎which‏ ‎assets ‎require‏ ‎immediate ‎attention. ‎This ‎phase ‎is‏ ‎dynamic ‎and‏ ‎needs‏ ‎to ‎be ‎adaptable‏ ‎to ‎address‏ ‎evolving ‎threats ‎effectively.

Validation ‎phase

📌 The‏ ‎Validation‏ ‎phase ‎is‏ ‎the ‎fourth‏ ‎stage ‎in ‎the ‎CTEM ‎framework.‏ ‎This‏ ‎phase ‎is‏ ‎crucial ‎as‏ ‎it ‎verifies ‎the ‎effectiveness ‎of‏ ‎the‏ ‎organization's‏ ‎cybersecurity ‎posture‏ ‎and ‎the‏ ‎measures ‎taken‏ ‎to‏ ‎control ‎and‏ ‎decrease ‎vulnerabilities.

📌 During ‎the ‎Validation ‎phase,‏ ‎organizations ‎evaluate‏ ‎how‏ ‎they ‎would ‎handle‏ ‎an ‎actual‏ ‎attack ‎and ‎assess ‎their‏ ‎ability‏ ‎to ‎defend‏ ‎against ‎it.‏ ‎This ‎involves ‎using ‎tools ‎like‏ ‎Breach‏ ‎and ‎Attack‏ ‎Simulation ‎(BAS)‏ ‎and ‎Security ‎Control ‎Validation ‎to‏ ‎test‏ ‎the‏ ‎organization's ‎defenses‏ ‎against ‎simulated‏ ‎threats.

📌 The ‎Validation‏ ‎phase‏ ‎ensures ‎that‏ ‎the ‎plans ‎for ‎addressing ‎the‏ ‎vulnerabilities ‎and‏ ‎threats‏ ‎identified ‎in ‎the‏ ‎Prioritization ‎phase‏ ‎are ‎effective. ‎This ‎could‏ ‎involve‏ ‎adding ‎additional‏ ‎safeguards, ‎updating‏ ‎software, ‎or ‎changing ‎security ‎settings

📌 It's‏ ‎also‏ ‎important ‎to‏ ‎involve ‎a‏ ‎wide ‎range ‎of ‎stakeholders ‎in‏ ‎the‏ ‎Validation‏ ‎phase, ‎including‏ ‎IT ‎personnel,‏ ‎security ‎personnel,‏ ‎and‏ ‎other ‎relevant‏ ‎teams. ‎This ‎ensures ‎that ‎the‏ ‎validation ‎process‏ ‎is‏ ‎comprehensive ‎and ‎that‏ ‎the ‎remediation‏ ‎measures ‎are ‎effective ‎across‏ ‎the‏ ‎organization

Mobilization ‎phase

📌 The‏ ‎Mobilization ‎phase‏ ‎is ‎the ‎final ‎stage ‎in‏ ‎the‏ ‎CTEM ‎framework.‏ ‎This ‎phase‏ ‎is ‎about ‎operationalizing ‎the ‎findings‏ ‎from‏ ‎the‏ ‎CTEM ‎process‏ ‎and ‎implementing‏ ‎the ‎necessary‏ ‎actions‏ ‎to ‎correct‏ ‎identified ‎risks.

📌 During ‎the ‎Mobilization ‎phase,‏ ‎organizations ‎put‏ ‎into‏ ‎action ‎the ‎plans‏ ‎for ‎addressing‏ ‎the ‎vulnerabilities ‎and ‎threats‏ ‎identified‏ ‎in ‎the‏ ‎Prioritization ‎phase‏ ‎and ‎validated ‎in ‎the ‎Validation‏ ‎phase.‏ ‎This ‎could‏ ‎involve ‎adding‏ ‎additional ‎safeguards, ‎updating ‎software, ‎or‏ ‎changing‏ ‎security‏ ‎settings.

📌 This ‎phase‏ ‎also ‎involves‏ ‎ensuring ‎that‏ ‎all‏ ‎teams ‎within‏ ‎the ‎organization ‎are ‎informed ‎and‏ ‎aligned ‎with‏ ‎the‏ ‎security ‎efforts. ‎This‏ ‎may ‎include‏ ‎automating ‎mitigation ‎through ‎integration‏ ‎with‏ ‎Security ‎Information‏ ‎and ‎Event‏ ‎Management ‎(SIEM) ‎and ‎Security ‎Orchestration,‏ ‎Automation,‏ ‎and ‎Response‏ ‎(SOAR) ‎platforms,‏ ‎as ‎well ‎as ‎establishing ‎communication‏ ‎standards‏ ‎and‏ ‎documented ‎cross-team‏ ‎workflows.

📌 The ‎Mobilization‏ ‎phase ‎is‏ ‎crucial‏ ‎as ‎it‏ ‎drives ‎the ‎message ‎that ‎remediation‏ ‎cannot ‎be‏ ‎entirely‏ ‎automated ‎and ‎requires‏ ‎human ‎intervention.‏ ‎It ‎emphasizes ‎the ‎need‏ ‎for‏ ‎security ‎leaders‏ ‎to ‎mobilize‏ ‎a ‎response ‎and ‎remove ‎exposures‏ ‎from‏ ‎the ‎environment