Considering today's attack surface's massive and hyper-dimensional nature, we begin to see how challenging it is to manage this attack surface in a modern enterprise. The risk surface of the enterprise is constantly expanding. Threats are finding their way into enterprises, constantly morphing and adapting to network defenses. It is thus a daunting task to bring the vast scope of an organization's enterprise attack surface into focus. Many security leaders lack awareness of all the threats their organizations face, and they are unaware of all the assets on their networks despite their best efforts.
Organizations consider ASM for a variety of reasons. It is one of the most critical cybersecurity techniques. Examples include:
Identifying unidentified assets, Shadow IT, and Shadow projects within on-premises infrastructure and across clouds.
Identifying vulnerabilities and risks that traditional vulnerability scanners fail to find.
Reducing the internet attack surface makes it harder for attackers to hack systems.
Identifying suppliers and vendors who may pose risks.
Identifying and assessing the risks associated with M&A.
Analyzing the risk associated with data hosted outside of the organization's infrastructure. Cybersquatting activities abuse their brand, such as stolen credentials on the dark web.
Automating Open Sourcing scanning tools (OSINT) provides valuable insights that can be gathered rapidly and are cost-effective.
An attack surface management solution (ASM) provides security insights across departments and brands. The platform allows people from different profiles to access the information they need and follow up on risks in their domain. Everybody sees the results of their actions, both their own and others, which can motivate them to accomplish the common goal. Key metrics can be easily tracked by management.
Since their attack surface is fluid, tracking and monitoring them is challenging. Through Attack Surface Management (ASM), you will be able to continually monitor and manage all of your digital assets, including the vulnerabilities that contain, transmit, or process all of your data. It is essential to test for vulnerabilities and monitor the performance of an attack surface after it has been mapped. In addition to identifying current and future risks, the management of attack surfaces can reap the following benefits:
Vulnerabilities need to be tested in high-risk areas
Identification of changes and new attack vectors during the process
A system should be divided into different parts based on the type of user who can access it
Take measures to prevent targeted cyberattacks
Why do we need attack surface management?
Monitoring your evolving threat landscape in real-time
Using real-time asset and vulnerability discovery, you can visualize your overall security posture by mapping all of your assets and vulnerabilities. Your organization's attack surface is constantly changing as vulnerabilities can arise anywhere.
Management of assets comprehensively
By automating the process of flagging and logging any changes to your online perimeter, active discovery tools enable organizations to save resources and boost productivity, eliminating manual inventory management that is ineffective and time-consuming.
Knowing your security posture is essential
As a result, you can measure your capacity to manage risks more accurately through asset criticality ratings.
Prioritize vulnerabilities so they can be remedied effectively
A holistic approach will allow you to prioritize your risks while minimizing the time to rectify (TTR). The process is much more efficient when the real danger is taken into account instead of a perceived threat.
Proactively addressing cybersecurity
With the rise of cyberattacks, including data leaks and remote services attacks, a proactive measure like ASM is much more effective than a reactive one. The traditional methods of protecting against computer attacks such as firewalls, antivirus software, and other software no longer work - easily defeated by sophisticated attacks.
Make cyber security a priority
Technological advances enable operations and processes to be more efficient and effective, creating new and undeniable risks. Scalable security strategies can protect your systems no matter how much traffic you receive.
We can help!
Are you looking for ongoing advisory services to assist in identifying vulnerabilities and security policies that should be in place and help improve your security posture? The team at Inception Security™ has been leveraged to enhance the security posture of fortune 100 companies, small and medium-sized businesses. Our team has a depth of knowledge in the cybersecurity industry and will be able to provide value to your business right away.
Contact Inception Security if your company is looking for help!