Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Legacy attack surfaces were small and simple. There were fewer servers and endpoints to protect. The tooling required to secure it was basic – perimeter firewalls, antivirus software, and server/network/application monitoring tools. When organizations migrate to the cloud, things change and become complex. For starters, on-premise infrastructure and applications can’t be left out in favor of the cloud. Most organizations run hybrid setups.

The ability to manage and monitor your attack surface is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. The rapid expansion of networks, coupled with the shift to cloud computing and remote work, has created a vast and ever-changing attack surface that requires constant vigilance. This article delves into the most effective attack surface management tools and techniques, offering insights into how they can bolster your cyber security posture and safeguard your organisation against evolving threats.

Vulnerability management is a major component of any cybersecurity strategy, simply because every vulnerability represents another potential vector through which an organization can be attacked.

The expansion of your attack surface is inevitable. As your business grows, so does the need to leverage API integrations and third-party tooling to ensure your product remains competitive. But what about ensuring that your product remains secure? The proportion of breaches involving supply chain interconnection increased by 68% between 2023 and 2024. Attackers are not just interested in your data – they are after the weak links in your interconnected systems.

When managing an organization’s attack surface, the focus often falls on broad categories like firewalls, endpoints, or software vulnerabilities. Yet, one obvious blind spot is login pages. Login pages are not just entry points for users but potential gateways for attackers. From an EASM point of view, login pages pose important security concerns because of their exposure to the Internet.

We just published our 2024 State of External Exposure Management Report. In this report, we looked at where serious issues hide on the average attack surface, how basic protections can help (or fail to) protect critical assets, and the ways that deprioritizing issues can help security teams spend their time on the right vulnerabilities.

Top tips is a weekly column where we highlight what’s trending in the tech world today and list ways to explore these trends. This week, we’re looking at four ways you can minimize your attack surface. Organizational IT infrastructure is now more spread out, multi-layered, and complex than ever.

Penetration testing, dynamic application security testing (DAST), and attack surface management (ASM) are all strategies designed to manage an organization’s digital attack surface. However, while each aids in identifying and closing vulnerabilities, they have significant differences and play complementary roles within a corporate cybersecurity strategy. Let’s take a quick look at the definition of each of these strategies.

In today’s interconnected world, cyber threats continue to evolve at a rapid pace. As businesses grow more reliant on digital systems and services, the cyber security attack surface—the totality of an organisation’s digital exposure—has expanded, increasing the risks faced by security teams. The complex nature of these threats calls for a more adaptive and responsive approach to security, particularly in identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

Gaps in your security testing program are likely more than simply missed assets. Infrequent testing and even low test accuracy are also gaps, and can be just as bad or worse. Gaps happen despite the best efforts of everyone involved. The good news is that, with some strategic adjustments, you can reduce gaps using tools you likely already have deployed.