Identifying external security risks and cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
In the wake of phishing attempts, spam telephone calls, and other nuisance actions, a multination corporation became concerned that the personal identifying information of its senior executives was being leaked online. To assist the company in understanding potential external security risks, Nardello & Co. conducted a defensive cybersecurity exercise, which included a bespoke security assessment and online privacy stress test for each executive. Nardello & Co. security and digital experts delivered the results of these one-on-one assessments, which focused on identifying potential gaps in each executive’s security awareness and recognizing avenues for potential personal information leakage. We also conducted targeted open source research in online forums and on the deep web and the dark web to identify places where such personal information could be readily found. In addition to establishing that personal information of many of the executives — including cellular telephone numbers and residential addresses — was readily available online, Nardello & Co. also identified fake job postings that may have resulted from the hacking of one executive’s social media account. After delivering its investigative findings, Nardello & Co. provided each executive with recommendations on securing personal identifying information online. The company used our findings to harden its online presence in an effort to limit opportunities for future targeting by malicious actors.