What is ITDR (Identity Threat Detection and Response)?

It’s become increasingly vital for organisations to prioritise the security of their identity infrastructure to prevent data breaches and cyber attacks. 

Identity infrastructure forms the foundation of digital security as it ensures that authorised individuals have access to their organisation's data and systems. 

According to the IDS Alliance 2023 Trends in Securing Digital Identities Report, digital identity has become a top attack vector – 90% of organizations reported an identity-related breach in the past year. 

This article tells you everything you need to know about Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR), what it is, how to deploy it, its features, and use case.

What is ITDR (Identity Threat Detection and Response)?

ITDR short for identity threat detection and response is a cyber security risk management solution designed to secure user identities and identity-based systems from cyber threats. ITDR platforms offer a selection of tools and techniques to ensure organisations are carrying out the best secure practices.

This cyber security solution prevents unauthorised hackers from accessing not just the overall security perimeter of a network or cloud but also from gaining access to one privileged account that could breach security. 

ITDR is a collection of emergency security solutions designed to help prevent, detect, and respond to increasingly popular identity-related threats according to Microsoft. 

Why Use ITDR?

ITDR (identity threat detection and response) should be used by organisations as it equips them with the ability to prevent cyber attacks before attackers have a chance to exploit any vulnerabilities. Deploying threat detection and response solutions in an organisational cloud environment could significantly reduce the risk of data loss, damages and as well financial loss. 

While some of these attacks may happen because of common cyber crimes like phishing or social engineering strategies cybercriminals have now become more sophisticated with their cyber attack approaches. They seem to be targeting the foundational identity infrastructure to exploit vulnerabilities in identity posture. 

Microsoft adds that this led security teams to increase focus on identity protection strategy and look to better correlate their identity signals within their XDR platform for greater visibility into emerging cyber threats.

ITDR Key Features

1. Real-Time Monitoring

ITDR (identity threat detection and response) continuously checks a cloud environment when deployed and provides real-time visibility of potential threats or vulnerabilities and breaches as they are happening. Real-time monitoring is a vital component of ITDR to ensure threats are spotted before they harm the environment and breach data. This would prevent immense damage to financial costs and prevent data from leaking into the wrong hands. 

1. Automated Threat Detection

ITDR optimises advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms to automate threat detection. This allows the solution to constantly monitor behaviour, system logs, and network traffic for anomalies and suspicious activities.

ITDR establishes the definition of normal user behaviour which allows it to rapidly detect any odd activity such as unusual login attempts from unfamiliar locations, excessive data transfers, or unauthorised access to sensitive resources. It generates real-time alerts to warn security teams of cyber attacks or potential breaches, enabling them to promptly respond before attacks escalate.

Also, ITDR can automate certain response actions, such as blocking compromised accounts, quarantining infected devices, or resetting passwords, further reducing the risk of successful attacks and minimizing the impact of security breaches.

1. Integration 

ITDR can easily be integrated into different platforms and tools an organisation uses, making it very versatile and efficient to manage existing security infrastructure. For instance, it can integrate with security information and event Management (SIEM) systems, extended detection and response (XDR) tools, multi-factor authentication (MFA) solutions, and privileged access management (PAM) tools. 

Through integration, ITDR solutions can synthesise security information, automate incident response, also trigger additional authentication measures in case of suspicious activity to manage privileged accounts. This integration capability ultimately strengthens an organisation's overall security posture and enables a more proactive and responsive approach to potential threats.

1. Identity Infrastructure

ITDR constantly monitors and scrutinises user identities to protect the identity infrastructure of a platform. It also allows users to access privileges, and authentication mechanisms while still spotting and mitigating potential vulnerabilities. 

This proactive approach equips organisations with the capability to bolster their security posture and safeguard sensitive data from unauthorised access.

1. AI and Machine Learning (ML)

ITDR solutions have advanced capabilities to improve the security posture of an organisation by using AI and machine learning (ML) algorithms. It meticulously observes and explains huge amounts of behavioural data to identify anomalous patterns, detect suspicious activities, and proactively predict potential threats. 

Machine learning (ML) algorithms continuously improve the system's detection accuracy levels, allowing it to adapt to the ever-evolving threat landscape and boost its overall effectiveness. This approach helps organizations protect their sensitive data and maintain a strong security posture.

Use Case

Financial Institute

A large-scale financial firm can execute ITDR solutions to strengthen its security posture. For instance, the firm's system could detect unusual login activity from an employee's account originating from a different location, despite the employee being based in New York. Additionally, the system could flag login attempts occurring at unusual times, such as late at night. 

ITDR in this case can leverage its AI and ML capabilities to spot anomalies which possibly signal a compromised account. The system automatically triggered an alert, notifying the security team of the financial institution. The security team immediately took action to investigate the incident, including:

• Disabling the compromised account: To prevent further unauthorized access.

• Initiating a password reset: To regain control of the account.

• Conducting a thorough security audit: To identify any other vulnerabilities or potential breaches.

• Analysing the incident to improve future security measures: By understanding the attack vector, the organization can strengthen its defences against similar threats.