LinkShadow ITDR targets the “identity perimeter,” safeguarding user and privileged accounts from abuse. It aligns closely
with Protect, Detect, and Respond functions by focusing on authentication, account misuse detection, and automated
response. It also supports Identify and Govern in terms of visibility into identity systems and roles:Identify (ID): ITDR begins with an Identity Protection phase where it aggregates and monitors user identity data across
the enterprise. This effectively creates a centralized inventory of identities (users, accounts, privileges) – contributing to
Identify – Asset Management but for identities (knowing all accounts and their roles). It continuously observes normal
identity usage to establish baselines. By mapping out roles, privileges, and usage patterns, ITDR can highlight which
identities are most critical or high-risk (e.g. privileged admins), feeding into the organization’s Risk Assessment (ID.RA).
In short, ITDR provides visibility into “who’s who” in the network and what they access, which is essential for identifying
critical assets (people and accounts) and their potential risk impact.Protect (PR): A key goal of ITDR is to secure access and prevent identity-based attacks, aligning with Protect – Identity
Management & Access Control (PR. AA). It does this by continuously checking for weak or violated access policies. For
instance, ITDR integrates with IAM and PAM (Privileged Access Management) systems to ensure privileged accounts are
being used appropriately. It monitors login patterns across single sign-on (SSO) platforms and can enforce adaptive
multi-factor authentication when anomalies are detected – this is a preventive control, triggering additional authentication
(MFA) to block unauthorized access if something seems off. By analyzing and potentially tightening user permissions
(via insights on misuse of permissions), LinkShadow ITDR helps enforce least privilege and other access policies, clearly
supporting PR. AA outcomes (only authorized, authenticated access is allowed). In essence, ITDR fortifies the identity layer
so that stolen credentials or insider misuse are much harder to translate into successful attacks.Detect (DE): Detection is at the heart of ITDR. In the Threat Detection phase, LinkShadow continuously monitors for
identity-based threats in real time. This includes detecting unusual account behaviours (e.g. an account accessing
resources at odd hours or a spike in failed login attempts), which is critical for DE.AE (anomalies and events detection)
focused on identities. ITDR’s use of behavioural baselines means it can spot subtle deviations that indicate compromised
credentials or malicious insiders (for example, a user suddenly trying to access data outside their role). It also facilitates
proactive threat hunting in identity systems – security teams can query identity logs for signs of known attack patterns
(like pass-the-hash attempts or privilege escalation). By prioritizing detected identity risks based on potential impact
(e.g. flagging an admin account breach as high severity), ITDR ensures the most critical detections get immediate attention.
These capabilities fulfil CSF outcomes for continuous security monitoring and anomaly detection (DE.CM and DE.AE)
specifically in the identity and access management realm.Respond (RS): LinkShadow ITDR has a dedicated Identity Response phase, which maps strongly to CSF’s Respond function.
When an identity threat is confirmed, ITDR executes predefined response playbooks to contain the threat instantly.
For example, if a user account is suspected to be compromised, the playbook might automatically disable that account or
require a password reset / MFA re-authentication (this is an Incident Mitigation (RS.MI) action). ITDR’s integration with
existing identity infrastructure (AD/LDAP, cloud directories, etc.) means this response actions are carried out seamlessly
across the enterprise. Furthermore, ITDR provides detailed reporting on identity incidents – for instance, logging the
sequence of actions a malicious insider took and the system’s responses – ensuring full visibility. These reports and logs
assist in Respond – Analysis (RS.AN) by detailing what happened, and in Respond – Communications (RS.CO) by providing
evidence to share with management or compliance officers that the incident was contained. In summary, ITDR dramatically
cuts response time for identity incidents (no waiting for manual intervention), which can be the difference in stopping a
credential theft from becoming a major breach.Recover (RC): By preventing credential-related incidents from spreading, ITDR indirectly contributes to faster recovery.
If, say, a stolen admin account is caught and locked by ITDR in minutes, the recovery might simply involve resetting that
account and verifying systems, rather than dealing with a full-blown breach. This aligns with RC.RP (recovery plan execution)
– fewer systems compromised means a simpler recovery process. Additionally, the detailed incident reports from ITDR can
feed into recovery communications (RC.CO); for example, informing regulators or affected users which accounts were
compromised and confirming that they were remediated quickly. Over time, the trends observed by ITDR (e.g. repeated
phishing attempts or common misconfigurations) can inform improvements to the identity management program and
disaster recovery plans (linking back to GV and ID.IM for continuous improvement). Though ITDR doesn’t perform data
restoration, it significantly limits damage in the identity domain, thereby reducing what needs to be recovered.Overall Security Improvement: LinkShadow ITDR addresses the reality that “identity is the new perimeter”. With 74%
of breaches involving stolen credentials, having a strong ITDR solution in place is a direct enabler of CSF outcomes under
Protect, Detect, and Respond. It ensures that identity governance and authentication controls aren’t just on paper but
actively monitored and enforced. As an example of its impact, LinkShadow’s integration with a Privileged Access
Management system monitors high-risk admin accounts for any unusual behaviour – satisfying the CSF objective of
protecting critical accounts – and uses adaptive responses (like MFA challenges) when anomalies arise, which exemplifies a
dynamic Protect/Respond synergy.
