System Hosting Domain

System Hosting 

Overview: The System Hosting domain offers insights into the organization's Internet attack surface, providing details on the number of systems, system hosting providers, and system geolocations. Understanding how the organization has established its internet presence is crucial for managing IT security, privacy, and regulatory risks effectively. Within this domain, the scan assesses the degree of system hosting fragmentation and the use of shared IP address hosting, while also providing additional information on hosting countries, providers, hostname surface, and domain name surface. 

• Cotenant IP Hosting 

The scan has observed system(s) utilizing IP addresses shared with other companies, excluding content distribution networks from this analysis. Systems utilizing shared IP addresses pose increased challenges in defending against cyber threats due to limited network layer control options, such as IP address filtering and intrusion monitoring. Moreover, these systems are at risk of being blocked due to the malicious behavior of other tenants sharing the same IP address. The scan recommends prioritizing the resolution of issues for systems labeled as "high" value, especially those collecting sensitive data, while evaluating the risk associated with addressing non-high value system issues on a case-by-case basis. 

• Hosting Fragmentation 

The scan has identified the organization hosting systems with multiple hosting providers. Consolidating hosting services with fewer providers allows the enterprise to concentrate security risk and governance efforts effectively. Moreover, consolidated hosting is indicative of strong IT processes implemented to ensure that systems are exclusively hosted with authorized hosting providers. 

• Hosting Geolocations 

The scan has observed the organization hosting systems in (x) countries, determined based on the analysis of system IP addresses geolocation. This information serves as reference only. The geographical distribution of hosted systems is critical, influencing regulatory requirements and exposing the organization to geopolitical threats. Detailed enumeration of system geolocations is available in the IT Profile. 

Conclusion: Effective management of system hosting is essential for minimizing security risks and ensuring regulatory compliance. By addressing issues related to cotenant IP hosting, consolidating hosting services, and considering hosting geolocations, organizations can strengthen their IT security posture and mitigate potential threats effectively.