Leadership Security History

6 automated security scanners

CTO Security Track Record

Purpose: The CTO Security Track Record Scanner is designed to identify potential red flags in a company’s security posture by analyzing public records, OSINT sources, and breach disclosures. It aims to detect prior incidents tied to leadership and security culture history, helping to assess the accountability of company leaders and the overall strength of their security practices.

What It Detects:

Breach Mentions: Identifies mentions of data breaches, security incidents, unauthorized access, and compromised systems, which are crucial for assessing potential vulnerabilities and risks.
Tech Stack Disclosure: Detects mentions of specific technology stacks used by the company, which can indicate both their capabilities and potential weaknesses in implementation and management.
Certification Claims: Identifies claims of security certifications and compliance standards, providing insights into formal recognition of the company’s security practices.
Security Incident Coverage: Analyzes public sources for mentions of security incidents related to the company, helping to understand how effectively the organization handles such events.
SEC Filings and Risk Factor Disclosures: Examines SEC filings for risk factor disclosures that may indicate past or potential security vulnerabilities or incidents.

Inputs Required:

domain (string): The primary domain of the entity being analyzed, which is essential for searching relevant public records and data breaches.
company_name (string): The name of the company under review, used to search for specific mentions related to the organization in various public databases and documents.

Business Impact: This scanner is critical for assessing the security posture of a company as it helps identify potential red flags that could affect customer trust, regulatory compliance, and overall business reputation. It also aids in understanding the accountability of leadership in managing cybersecurity risks.

Risk Levels:

Critical: Conditions that directly lead to significant data breaches or severe system vulnerabilities are considered critical. These include explicit mentions of major security incidents or detailed risk factor disclosures indicating imminent threats.
High: High-risk findings involve substantial potential for harm, such as widespread unauthorized access attempts or high-profile breach notifications.
Medium: Medium-severity risks pertain to less severe but still significant vulnerabilities that could lead to considerable disruption if exploited.
Low: Lower risk findings include general mentions of security practices and certifications without specific details about incidents or breaches.
Info: Informational findings are generally non-incidents, such as generic statements about technology use or compliance without concrete evidence of risks.

The severity levels are inferred based on the potential impact of each finding: critical being the most severe, followed by high, medium, low, and finally informational.

Example Findings:

“Acme Corporation was recently disclosed to have a history of data breaches in its SEC filings.”
“A notable mention of unauthorized access attempts in recent press releases indicates a potential security incident.”

Security Team Turnover Analysis

Purpose: The Security Team Turnover Analysis Scanner is designed to identify patterns of high turnover within an organization’s security team and assess the impact on its cybersecurity posture. By detecting exodus trends in key personnel, such as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and heads of cybersecurity, this scanner aims to uncover potential underlying issues that could compromise the security of the organization.

What It Detects:

Security Team Departure Announcements: Identifies job postings for open security positions across various platforms, including LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor, to gauge potential turnover.
LinkedIn Profile Activity: Monitors the activity on the LinkedIn profiles of current and former security team members to detect any patterns that suggest high turnover rates.
News Articles and Press Releases: Searches for news articles and press releases mentioning departures or changes in key security personnel, providing insights into the reasons behind these departures.
SEC Filings and Risk Factor Disclosures: Analyzes SEC filings for risk factor disclosures related to cybersecurity, looking for mentions of high turnover or leadership changes that could impact the organization’s security posture.
Job Board Listings: Compares the number of open positions in the security department with the size of the team to evaluate potential turnover rates and identify any gaps in staffing.

Inputs Required:

domain (string): The primary domain of the company being analyzed, such as “acme.com.”
company_name (string): The name of the company for which the analysis is conducted, e.g., “Acme Corporation.”

Business Impact: High turnover in security teams can indicate underlying issues that may compromise an organization’s cybersecurity posture. Such issues include poor leadership, inadequate compensation, or a toxic work environment, all of which can lead to decreased morale and expertise within the team, ultimately affecting the overall security strategy and response capabilities.

Risk Levels:

Critical: Significant departures of key personnel such as CISO or heads of cybersecurity without clear explanations in SEC filings or public statements.
High: Sudden spikes in job postings for open security positions across multiple platforms, indicating potential dissatisfaction among current employees.
Medium: Moderate turnover rates accompanied by increased risk factor disclosures in SEC filings related to cybersecurity.
Low: Minimal changes in personnel and minimal mentions of turnover or leadership changes in public statements and filings.
Info: Informal discussions about job market trends, general industry news, and minor personnel adjustments that do not significantly impact the security posture.

Example Findings:

Acme Corporation has multiple open positions for cybersecurity specialists listed on various job boards, suggesting a potential need to replace departing employees or an inability to retain talent in the sector.
In SEC filings, there are risk factor disclosures that mention concerns about cybersecurity staff retention and turnover, indicating potential issues within the company’s management of its security team.

CISO Track Record

Purpose: The CISO Track Record Scanner is designed to evaluate the track record of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) by analyzing public records and open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources. It aims to identify patterns in security incident disclosures, technology stack usage, and certification claims to provide insights into the CISO’s effectiveness in managing information security risks.

What It Detects:

Breach Mentions: Identifies mentions of data breaches, security incidents, unauthorized access, and compromised systems. Key phrases include “data breach,” “security incident,” “unauthorized access,” and “compromised.”
Technology Stack Disclosure: Detects claims of experience with specific technologies such as AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, and proficiency in tools like Terraform, Ansible, Docker. Relevant keywords are “experience with,” “proficiency in,” and mentions of security tools like Splunk, Datadog, Elastic.
Certification Claims: Identifies claims of certifications such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and HIPAA compliance. Keywords include “SOC 2,” “ISO 27001,” “PCI DSS,” and “HIPAA compliant.”
Security Incident Coverage in News: Searches for news articles and press releases covering security incidents related to the company. Relevant keywords are “security incident,” “data breach,” “cyber attack,” and “unauthorized access.”
Risk Factor Disclosures in SEC Filings: Analyzes SEC EDGAR filings for risk factor disclosures that may indicate security vulnerabilities or incidents. Keywords include “risk factors,” “security vulnerabilities,” “cyber risks,” and “data protection.”

Inputs Required:

domain (string): The primary domain to analyze, such as acme.com. This helps in searching company sites for incident disclosures.
company_name (string): The name of the company for which statements are being searched. This aids in identifying relevant information across various platforms and databases.

Business Impact: Understanding the track record of a CISO is crucial as it directly impacts an organization’s security posture, financial stability, and reputation. A robust system like this scanner helps stakeholders assess the effectiveness of the CISO in managing potential threats and vulnerabilities within the technological infrastructure.

Risk Levels:

Critical: Conditions that indicate severe risks such as significant data breaches or persistent security vulnerabilities that could lead to legal repercussions or substantial financial loss.
High: Risks involving high-profile incidents like major data leaks, where personal information of a large number of individuals is compromised.
Medium: Moderate risks associated with less severe issues like minor security lapses or unverified claims about certifications and technology usage.
Low: Informational findings that do not pose immediate threats but are still relevant for monitoring compliance gaps or updating policies.
Info: Non-critical details such as general statements about cybersecurity practices without specific incidents or breaches mentioned.

Example Findings:

“We discovered a data breach on our system.” - This finding indicates a critical risk, highlighting a significant security incident that needs immediate attention and remediation.
“Our team has experience with AWS and Azure.” - While not directly risky, this finding is informative about the CISO’s technological capabilities and might be relevant for assessing future compliance requirements or strategic planning.

Security Budget Allocation History

Purpose: The Security Budget Allocation History Scanner is designed to analyze financial disclosures and spending patterns in order to detect investment trends in security measures post-incident. This tool helps identify whether a company is genuinely committed to enhancing its security posture following breaches or if it is merely allocating minimal resources.

What It Detects:

Post-Incident Spending Patterns: The scanner identifies increases in security-related expenses after reported incidents and detects shifts in budget allocation towards incident response and prevention measures.
Security Budget Growth Over Time: This feature tracks year-over-year changes in the security budget, highlighting periods of significant growth or decline in security spending.
Risk Factor Disclosures: The scanner analyzes SEC filings for mentions of security risks and associated financial impacts, identifying trends in risk disclosures that correlate with security incidents.
Technology Stack Investment: By examining job board postings for roles requiring specific security technologies, the scanner detects investments in emerging security tools and platforms based on hiring patterns.
Breach Mentions in Financial Reports: The scanner searches for mentions of breaches or security incidents in financial statements and correlates breach disclosures with subsequent budget allocations.

Inputs Required:

domain (string): Primary domain to analyze (e.g., acme.com)
company_name (string): Company name for statement searching (e.g., “Acme Corporation”)

Business Impact: This scanner is crucial for assessing a company’s commitment and effectiveness in enhancing its security posture following breaches. It helps stakeholders understand whether the allocated resources are adequate to address identified risks and improve overall security measures.

Risk Levels:

Critical: The scanner identifies significant data breaches or inadequate budget allocations despite known incidents, indicating a critical risk to the company’s cybersecurity and financial stability.
High: There is a high likelihood of future security incidents if the current investment in security measures does not meet industry standards or recommended practices.
Medium: The company may be underinvesting in security compared to peers, potentially exposing it to medium risks related to data breaches or cyber threats.
Low: Minimal risk associated with inadequate security spending; however, continued monitoring is advised for any emerging trends that could escalate into higher risks.
Info: Informal findings such as minor budget adjustments without significant impact on overall security posture are considered informational and may require further investigation under specific circumstances.

Example Findings:

“Acme Corporation experienced a significant data breach in Q4 2022, leading to an increase in its cybersecurity budget by 20% for the following year.”
“Following the recent cyber attack, Acme Corporation announced a $5 million investment in advanced threat detection systems.”

Security Leadership Tenure Analysis

Purpose: The Security Leadership Tenure Analysis Scanner is designed to identify short Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) tenures and CISO departures following security breaches, which can indicate potential leadership instability and lack of commitment to long-term cybersecurity strategies. This tool aims to provide insights into the continuity and dedication of cybersecurity leadership within organizations.

What It Detects:

Short CISO Tenures: The scanner identifies unusually short tenures for CISOs, typically less than a year, which may suggest a lack of stability in the cybersecurity leadership role.
Post-Breach Departures: Monitors news articles and job boards for instances where CISOs depart from their positions following security incidents, analyzing the timing between breach announcements and leadership changes to assess potential gaps or failures in leadership continuity.
LinkedIn Profile Analysis: Scrapes LinkedIn profiles of current and past CISOs to extract tenure details, assessing recent activity or role changes that might indicate instability in cybersecurity leadership.
SEC EDGAR Risk Factor Disclosures: Parses SEC filings for risk factor disclosures related to cybersecurity leadership, identifying any mention of leadership changes impacting the security posture of the organization.
News and Media Coverage: Searches news articles for mentions of CISO departures or changes in leadership following breaches, analyzing press releases and investor relations statements for relevant information that could indicate a lack of commitment to cybersecurity.

Inputs Required:

domain (string): Primary domain to analyze (e.g., acme.com)
company_name (string): Company name for statement searching (e.g., “Acme Corporation”)

Business Impact: Identifying short CISOs tenures and post-breach departures is crucial as it can directly impact an organization’s ability to effectively manage cybersecurity risks. Such indicators may suggest a lack of focus on long-term strategies, leading to potential security vulnerabilities and increased risk exposure.

Risk Levels:

Critical: Identifies short CISOs tenures that are less than one year in duration or significant departures following major breaches without clear explanations.
High: Indicates departures within a month of breach announcements or notable changes in leadership roles without substantial justification, which may signal inadequate response to critical security incidents.
Medium: Detects shorter tenure periods and departures that are not immediately indicative of severe risks but still suggest potential concerns about cybersecurity leadership stability.
Low: Infers informational findings regarding CISOs with longer tenures or minimal changes in roles, generally indicating a more stable cybersecurity posture without immediate cause for concern.

Example Findings:

“CISO appointed in January 2021 and resigned in March 2022, indicating a tenure of less than one year.”
“CISO departed from the position following a data breach announcement on June 1st, suggesting immediate departure post-breach.”

Security Maturity Progression

Purpose: The Security Maturity Progression Scanner is designed to assess the adoption and improvement trajectory of security maturity frameworks within organizations. It analyzes public records, OSINT sources, and company disclosures to evaluate how well a company adheres to recognized security standards such as NIST, ISO/IEC 27001, or SOC 2, identifies areas for compliance enhancement, tracks technological advancements in the field, and evaluates transparency in reporting security incidents.

What It Detects:

Maturity Model Adoption: The scanner identifies mentions of prominent security maturity frameworks including NIST, ISO/IEC 27001, and SOC 2 within company websites and public documents. It also checks for any certifications claimed by the organization in its communications.
Improvement Velocity: By analyzing the frequency and nature of security-related updates and improvements disclosed through press releases, blog posts, and other corporate statements, the scanner provides insights into the pace at which a company is enhancing its security practices.
Security Incident Reporting: The tool detects mentions of data breaches, unauthorized access incidents, or compromised systems in various public channels like news articles, job boards, and official disclosures. It assesses the maturity level through these reports.
Risk Factor Disclosures: From SEC filings, the scanner extracts risk factor statements that highlight the company’s awareness and management of security risks. This includes any changes or updates to previously disclosed risk factors.
Technology Stack Disclosure: The scanner identifies specific technologies used by the organization in its job listings and public communications, evaluating their alignment with state-of-the-art practices in cybersecurity.

Inputs Required:

domain (string): A primary domain for analysis to search for security-related information.
company_name (string): The name of the company whose security posture is being evaluated, used for searching relevant statements and disclosures.

Business Impact: This scanner is crucial for organizations aiming to enhance their cybersecurity posture by understanding where they stand in terms of compliance with industry standards and best practices. It helps identify gaps that need immediate attention and supports strategic planning for future improvements in the security domain.

Risk Levels:

Critical: High visibility into unreported data breaches or significant vulnerabilities that could lead to substantial financial losses or legal repercussions.
High: Notable deficiencies in security protocols, which might expose sensitive information or critical systems to high risks of compromise.
Medium: Minor issues in security practices that, while not immediately risky, if left unchecked, could escalate into more significant vulnerabilities over time.
Low: Informal mentions of good practices or minor compliance points without concrete evidence of impact on security posture.
Info: Non-specific references to cybersecurity best practices without detailed analysis of their implications for the organization’s risk profile.

Note: The severity levels are inferred based on the purpose and potential impact of each detection point in enhancing organizational security.

Example Findings:

A company claims ISO/IEC 27001 certification but does not have a dedicated security team listed in their job postings, indicating a possible gap in compliance efforts.
Inconsistencies between the technologies mentioned in public GitHub repositories and those disclosed in official communications suggest potential misalignment or underinvestment in modern cybersecurity tools and practices.