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Introduction

As organizations increasingly rely on Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) to monitor their systems and detect cyber threats, many believe they are well-protected against compromises and data breaches. However, a recent threat hunt conducted by Accelerynt within a leading retailer’s infrastructure revealed critical vulnerabilities that went entirely undetected by their existing MSSP provider. Despite significant cyber hygiene issues, including the presence of clear text credentials, unauthorized movement within the network, and exfiltration risks, no alerts or warnings were raised by the MSSP. This whitepaper explores the implications of such undetected threats and how organizations can benefit from a more proactive, comprehensive MSSP approach.

The MSSP Landscape

MSSPs play an essential role in the cybersecurity ecosystem by offering 24/7 monitoring, incident response capabilities, and vulnerability management. However, many MSSP offerings focus on known threat vectors, signature-based detection, and event correlation, which often fall short when dealing with more advanced techniques like living-off-the-land (LotL) attacks, lateral movement, and internal data exfiltration.

The MSSP at this client demonstrated this gap, failing to detect several critical threats that were actively exploitable within their environment. This issue is not unique to our client; many organizations unknowingly place too much trust in their MSSP without understanding the limitations of the service they are receiving.

Key Findings: MSSP Detection Gaps

During the Accelerynt threat hunt, the following vulnerabilities and malicious behaviors were identified, none of which triggered alerts from the MSSP:

  1. Clear Text Credentials in Use: Over 100 clear text credentials were identified across the environment, many of which could be exploited to gain unauthorized access to critical systems. Despite this being a major security risk, no alert was raised by the MSSP regarding exposed or improperly managed credentials.
  2. Unauthenticated SMTP Relay: The MSSP failed to detect an open SMTP relay that allowed internal users to send emails impersonating other users without authentication. This vulnerability could lead to phishing, social engineering, and business email compromise (BEC) attacks—yet it was not flagged.
  3. Lateral Movement Potential: In the event of user-level compromise, an adversary could easily pivot across the client’s network using existing vulnerabilities and the credentials found. However, the MSSP’s monitoring did not detect any lateral movement, even though clear indicators of such potential were present.
  4. VDI Escape Vulnerability: The virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) at the client was susceptible to drive mounting, allowing data to be transferred between internal and external systems unchecked. The MSSP did not flag any suspicious activity related to this issue, which posed a significant risk of malware transfer.
  5. Customer Data Exposure: Despite sensitive customer data being readily accessible across the environment, the MSSP failed to identify potential exfiltration risks, leaving the client vulnerable to both insider threats and external breaches.

The Implications of Missed Detection

For organizations relying solely on their MSSP, the undetected vulnerabilities uncovered by Accelerynt carry serious implications:

  • False Sense of Security: Companies believe their MSSP will detect and prevent all attacks. However, the failure to detect clear text credentials, lateral movement, or exfiltration risks demonstrates that many MSSPs only scratch the surface of network monitoring.
  • Increased Risk of Data Breaches: The failure to detect vulnerabilities related to customer data exposes organizations to reputational damage, compliance violations, and financial losses. Undetected exfiltration could result in significant breaches before the organization is even aware of the compromise.
  • Compliance and Regulatory Failures: Many industries require stringent data protection and reporting measures. An MSSP that fails to detect compromised systems or unprotected data may expose organizations to regulatory penalties and compliance failures, such as non-compliance with PCI-DSS, HIPAA, or GDPR.
  • Advanced Threat Techniques Go Unnoticed: Living-off-the-land (LotL) attacks and other advanced techniques often bypass traditional detection methods. Without an MSSP capable of monitoring these nuanced behaviors, attackers can operate within the network undetected for months, causing long-term damage.

Actionable Insights: What Organizations Can Do

To address these gaps, organizations must rethink their reliance on traditional MSSP offerings and consider a more proactive, layered approach to security. Here are some key actions:

  • Assess MSSP Capabilities: Ensure your MSSP provides more than just signature-based detection and correlational event monitoring. Look for providers that offer behavioral analysis, threat hunting, and continuous vulnerability assessments.
  • Leverage Threat Hunting: Partner with cybersecurity experts who can conduct regular threat hunts, identifying weaknesses that are often overlooked by MSSP services. This proactive step can highlight undetected vulnerabilities and give your security teams the insight needed to take corrective action.
  • Adopt a Zero Trust Model: Ensure that access is limited to what users need for their role and that credentials are protected with multi-factor authentication (MFA). A zero-trust framework reduces the likelihood of lateral movement going unnoticed.
  • Regularly Review Security Policies: Collaborate with your MSSP to ensure that policies are up to date, especially in rapidly evolving environments. This includes addressing cloud-specific security challenges and ensuring that sensitive data is properly segmented and encrypted.

Accelerynt’s Expertise: Bridging the Gap in MSSP Services

Accelerynt offers MSSP services that go beyond traditional monitoring to address the advanced threat techniques often missed by competitors. Our approach includes:

  1. Proactive Threat Hunting: Regular threat hunts and vulnerability assessments to detect emerging threats that traditional MSSPs may overlook.
  2. Behavioral Monitoring: Using advanced detection techniques to identify LotL attacks, lateral movement, and internal data exfiltration, which signature-based systems miss.
  3. Customizable Reporting and Alerting: Our MSSP services include robust, customizable alerts and reporting to ensure you are immediately notified of suspicious activities in your environment.
  4. Cloud and On-Premise Expertise: With deep knowledge of Microsoft’s security stack and hybrid environments, Accelerynt ensures that your cloud and on-premise resources are equally protected.

Conclusion

Accelerynt’s threat hunt uncovered several critical vulnerabilities that went undetected by our client’s MSSP, demonstrating the need for a more comprehensive, proactive approach to security monitoring. As cyber threats evolve, organizations must recognize the limitations of traditional MSSP services and seek providers that can offer advanced detection techniques, continuous assessments, and customized monitoring.

With Accelerynt’s expertise and next-generation MSSP services, organizations can rest assured that their systems are continuously monitored, and threats are addressed before they result in a breach. Don’t let undetected vulnerabilities put your organization at risk—take a proactive stance with Accelerynt.