Securing The Identity Attack Surface: A Deep Dive Into The New Battlefield Of Identity Security

Threat actors have increasingly targeted Identity given that the detection for this attack surface is often lacking. Francis Odum released his first report of 2025- “Securing the Identity Attack Surface: A Deep Dive into the New Battlefield of Identity Security” – Read the full report here.

The report dissects the Identity Attack Surface, exposing how threat actors exploit identity weaknesses and what enterprises must do to defend against them. The reports identify the next generation of identity security companies that will unify IAM, PAM, and IGA, addressing the silos and security gaps that have emerged as enterprise stacks evolve with AI and LLMs.

You Should Know:

1. IAM (Identity and Access Management):

Command to list IAM users in AWS:
```
aws iam list-users
```

Command to create an IAM user:

aws iam create-user --user-name NewUser

2. PAM (Privileged Access Management):

Command to check sudo access logs in Linux:
```
sudo cat /var/log/auth.log | grep sudo
```
Command to list all users with sudo privileges:
```
grep -Po '^sudo.+:\K.*$' /etc/group
```

3. IGA (Identity Governance and Administration):

Command to check group memberships in Linux:
```
groups username
```
Command to add a user to a group:
```
sudo usermod -aG groupname username
```

4. Deceptive Protection Technology:

Command to set up a honeypot using T-Pot:

git clone https://github.com/telekom-security/tpotce
cd tpotce
sudo ./install.sh

5. Identity Risk Management:

Command to check failed login attempts in Linux:
```
sudo lastb
```
Command to monitor real-time login attempts:
```
sudo tail -f /var/log/auth.log
```

6. Windows Commands for Identity Security:

Command to list all users in Windows:
```
net user
```
Command to check group memberships in Windows:
```
net user username
```
Command to enable Windows Defender for identity protection:
```
Set-MpPreference -EnableNetworkProtection Enabled
```

What Undercode Say:

Identity security is a critical aspect of modern cybersecurity, especially as threat actors increasingly target identity systems. Enterprises must adopt a unified approach to IAM, PAM, and IGA to address the evolving threat landscape. Implementing robust identity security measures, such as monitoring login attempts, managing privileged access, and using deceptive protection technologies, can significantly enhance an organization’s security posture. Additionally, leveraging AI and machine learning can help detect and respond to identity-based threats more effectively. Always ensure that your identity systems are up-to-date and that you regularly audit access controls to mitigate potential risks.

For further reading, refer to the full report on securing the identity attack surface.

References:

Reported By: Mthomasson Threat – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

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