- Attack Surface Management (ASM) helps businesses identify all potential entry points for cyberattacks, including digital assets, physical devices, and human vulnerabilities, to improve overall security and minimize risks.
- Its tools offer essential features like continuous monitoring, risk scoring, and AI-driven insights to mitigate vulnerabilities in real time before breaches occur.
- Best practices, such as securing DevOps pipelines, and techniques help reduce threats and strengthen your security posture.
Cybersecurity professionals face many challenges in choosing the right tools and strategies to keep their organizations safe. In late May 2023, a Zero Day vulnerability was discovered by a ransomware gang that urged organizations all over America to take urgent measures.
As networks and systems become more complex, you must continuously monitor and minimize vulnerabilities. With Attack Surface Management (ASM), you can keep your business’s digital assets safe.
What Is the Attack Surface?
Every possible point of entry that an attacker could use to access systems or data represents the attack surface of a business. This includes known digital assets like websites and servers, unknown assets such as outdated web pages, and external systems with malicious intent. These are categorized into three areas, such as:
- Digital Attack Surface: Any asset that can be accessed via the internet, such as servers, websites, APIs, and cloud resources, is included in this. These assets can be exploited through vulnerabilities like misconfigurations, outdated software, or weak credentials.
- Physical Attack Surface: Any hardware device, including computers, USB drives, and mobile phones, that an unauthorized person could physically access.
- Social Engineering Attack Surface: This involves human vulnerabilities. Through tactics like phishing or baiting, employees, contractors, or even executives can be tricked into disclosing sensitive information.
The Benefits of Attack Surface Management
Shadow IT refers to systems or apps employees use without approval, and these hidden assets are often overlooked by security teams but can be targeted by attackers. With ASM, your company can see every possible point of entry for an attacker and thus have a complete understanding of its attack surface.
With this visibility, you can more efficiently manage resources and prioritize security efforts. Here are some of the benefits that can help your venture propel further and better.
Asset Discovery and Inventory
Finding and recognizing all of your organization’s assets is the first step in managing your attack surface. This includes digital, physical, and social engineering points. Use automated tools to constantly discover and monitor any asset that could be a vulnerability. Be sure to cover both internal systems and external-facing resources to ensure nothing is overlooked.
Contextual Risk Assessment
Risk scoring is applied based on factors like asset exposure, known vulnerabilities, and their importance to business operations, as not all assets pose the same level of threat. This allows security teams to prioritize which areas need immediate attention in your network.
ASM tools often offer a scoring system based on the severity of potential threats, past exploitation history, and ease of remediation.
Continuous Monitoring and Testing
Since attack surfaces are dynamic, you need to have a continuous monitoring system in place. New devices, software updates, and even employee turnover can create new vulnerabilities. You can detect emerging threats in real-time by integrating the ASM platforms.
As you move to cloud services and remote work, your cybersecurity risks expand beyond traditional office systems. Once a threat is traced, the security teams need to apply patches, reconfigure systems, or take other mitigating actions. Also, poorly secured APIs can expose sensitive data, which can be avoided with appropriate integration of ASM in your networking.
AI and Machine Learning
Modern attack surface management (ASM) tools use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to predict attack methods and strengthen defenses. They use AI to detect unusual network activity, allowing you to act before a breach occurs by detecting the pattern.
Integration with SIEM and SOAR Platforms
You can also consider integrating ASM with SIEM/SOAR, which helps businesses detect and resolve vulnerabilities faster. SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) collects security data and SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) platforms to automate threat responses.
Tools for Attack Surface Management
Frameworks that classify threats according to their likelihood and severity can help you implement the best security. However, managing them requires the right set of tools to enhance visibility, automate detection, and streamline remediation processes.
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
SIEM platforms aggregate logs from various systems and monitor them for suspicious activity. This functionality assists organizations in identifying potential breaches or unusual behavior, providing a critical layer of security oversight across the attack surface.
Attack Surface Discovery Tools
These tools systematically scan both internal and external environments to create a comprehensive inventory of all assets. They help you identify forgotten or abandoned resources, ensuring that no potential vulnerabilities go unnoticed.
Vulnerability Scanners
In addition to identifying weaknesses related to configurations, software versions, and security patches, these tools continuously scan networks and systems for vulnerabilities. They provide essential insights that help you prioritize remediation efforts based on the severity of the threat.
Threat Intelligence Platforms
These platforms offer real-time intelligence on emerging attack techniques and exploits. As a result of correlating vulnerabilities with known threats, they enable you to proactively address security risks and enhance your overall defense posture.
Penetration Testing and Red Team Tools
By simulating real-world attacks, these tools assess the resilience of systems against threat actors. Also, they mimic various attack tactics and help your experts uncover vulnerabilities before they can cause major threats.
Best Practices for Managing Your Attack Surface
Cybercriminals exploit security weaknesses to gain unauthorized access to systems, often for financial gain. They use tactics such as phishing, ransomware, and data theft to disrupt operations and extort organizations. To stay ahead of such cyberthreats, you need to follow best practices when implementing ASM strategies:
Utilize Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) Tools
BAS tools simulate real-world attacks on your environment to identify weaknesses that traditional scans might overlook, particularly in complex setups like cloud infrastructures. This continuous testing helps uncover hidden vulnerabilities and strengthens your defenses
Apply Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) Techniques
By disabling unnecessary services and securing configurations, ASR techniques reduce potential entry points before vulnerabilities arise. These proactive steps minimize the need for constant patching and shrink your exposure to threats.
Secure DevOps Pipelines
You may also introduce unmonitored cloud resources in their pursuit of speed, expanding the attack surface. However, this should be done by continuously monitoring CI/CD pipelines so that the automated deployments remain secure and don’t introduce new vulnerabilities.
Cybersecurity is a collaborative effort rather than solely the responsibility of your IT department. At CMIT Solutions Northern Westchester & Putnam County, we can help you deploy a cross-functional security task force that can drive your business with holistic security solutions. Contact us today to assess your threat exposure!
