Identity Threat Detection & Response (ITDR)

The Sovereign Shield Against Identity Attacks

Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) is the “Sovereign Shield” for the modern security operations center. In an era where “Attacker’s don’t break in, they log in,” the identity perimeter is the first and most critical line of defense. ITDR is the discipline of monitoring identity-related signals—logins, password resets, unusual attribute changes—to detect and automatically remediate malicious activity. For the IAM architect, ITDR is the evolution of security from “Static Policies” to Dynamic Vigilance, using machine learning and behavioral analytics to identify sophisticated attacks like Session Hijacking, Credential Stuffing, and Internal Lateral Movement.

THREATS (ITDR)

Defense Sovereign

Core Mission

Identity Anomaly Detection. Establishing a real-time monitoring and automated response framework that identifies malicious patterns in identity traffic and neutralizes threats before they can access sensitive data.

Like a Precision Security Radar: Imagine your identity perimeter is a massive airport. People are constantly flowing through the gates. A traditional firewall is the "Fence" surrounding the airport. ITDR is the "Sovereign Radar" and "Plainclothes Detectives" inside. They aren't just checking badges; they are looking for "Impossible Travel" (Someone appearing in two gates at once), "Unusual Behavior" (An employee staying in the basement for 5 hours), and "Coordinated Groups" (A sudden surge of 500 people all trying to enter the cockpit). When the Radar detects a threat, it can lock down a specific gate (A User Account) instantly.

Credential Stuffing Defense / Session Hijacking Response / Impossible Travel Detection / Adaptive Policy Enforcement

The Identity Threat Matrix

Effective defense requires understanding the different vectors of identity-based attacks.

Strategic Threat Profiles

Threat	Strategic Responsibility	IAM Implementation
Credential Stuffing	High-Volume Defense.	Implementing CAPTCHA, Rate Limiting, and WAF rules to block botnets testing leaked passwords.
Phishing / AisTM	Protocol Hardening.	Enforcing FIDO2 security keys to defeat man-in-the-middle / Adversary-in-the-Middle theft.
Session Hijacking	Token Integrity.	Using “Token Binding” and continuous session evaluation to detect stolen OIDC/SAML cookies.
Privilege Escalation	Internal Vigilance.	Monitoring for unauthorized “AssumeRole” calls or modification of IAM policies.

The Automated Response Flow

Detecting a threat is only half the battle; the “Sovereign Response” must be automated to counter machine-speed attacks.

graph LR
    Signal[Signal: Risk High] --> Detect[Behavioral Analytics]
    Detect --> Remediate[Automated Response]

1

Signal Aggregation & Enrichment

The system ingests signals from the IdP (Okta/Entra), the Endpoint (EDR), and the Network (WAF). It detects a "High Risk" event—for example, a user logging in from a known TOR exit node while simultaneously attempting to access a high-value finance application they haven't touched in months.

2

The Sovereign Analytics Engine

The ITDR engine correlates the signals. It asks: "Is this a known device? Is this a typical IP range? Is the user's velocity humanly possible?" By building a **Behavioral Baseline**, the engine can distinguish between a "Clumsy User" and a "Sophisticated Adversary."

3

Autonomous Neutralization

The system triggers a **Conditional Access Policy** override. It might: Force a Password Reset, mandate a FIDO2 MFA challenge, or instantly "Suspend" the user and revoke all active OIDC refresh tokens. The "Kill Switch" is executed in milliseconds, isolating the identity before lateral movement can begin.

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Technical ITDR Implementation

Querying your identity logs for “Impossible Travel” is a fundamental ITDR skill.

Threat Query (Kusto / SIEM Example)

// Azure Sentinel Query for 'Impossible Travel' detection
SigninLogs
| where ResultType == 0
| summarize StartTime = min(TimeGenerated), EndTime = max(TimeGenerated),
    LocationCount = dcount(Location), Locations = make_list(Location)
    by UserPrincipalName, bin(TimeGenerated, 12h)
| where LocationCount > 1
| project UserPrincipalName, Locations, StartTime, EndTime

ITDR Implementation Guides

Master the technical ceremonies of identity threat detection and automated response.

Adaptive Auth

Using 'Risk-Based' Conditional Access to automate the remediation of identity threats.

Forensic Recovery

What to do AFTER an identity compromise: Rotating keys, purging sessions, and root cause analysis.

Log Orchestration

Streaming your IdP logs into a SIEM (Splunk/Sentinel) for deep forensic analysis.

Token Security

Hardening OIDC and SAML protocols against specialized protocol-level attacks.

Next Steps

• Explore MITRE ATT&CK for Identity for a library of known threats.
• Review Identity Threat Intelligence Sources for real-time risk feeds.
• Check WAF Bot Protection Guide for defending against credential stuffing.