s modern organizations expand their networks to support new applications and users, their attack surface grows with them, and so does the risk. Cybercriminals are quick to exploit these vulnerabilities, targeting corporate cloud environments to access sensitive company data. That is why businesses are increasingly turning to attack surface management (ASM) strategies, which proactively monitor vulnerable network entry points to detect threats, prevent breaches, and minimize costly data losses.
Due to the market growth of attack surface assessment technologies, managers now have many choices for the ASM tools that will best protect their business. To narrow the field, businesses should look for these three technologies in their prospective security solutions.
1. Cyber Asset Attack Surface Management (CAASM)
CAASM solutions are designed to give organizations complete visibility over their expanding networks. They enable real-time asset inventory updates and deploy identity and access management (IAM) systems to reduce risk across the attack surface.
IAM systems secure a business’s resources and data by adding layers of authentication to vulnerable network entry points. The significance of IAM solutions in modern businesses has escalated with the rising demand for remote and hybrid work models and the integration of IoT devices.
Today’s businesses manage complex multi-cloud networks where outdated or unsecured credentials can give hackers a way in from virtually anywhere. CAASM solutions help mitigate this risk by deploying IAM processes and other security controls, delivering benefits such as:
- Clearly defined access privileges for every user
- Centralized permission control across multi-cloud environments
- Automated user provisioning and de-provisioning
- Multi-factor authentication enforcement
- Automatic security report generation
With CAASM in place, businesses can authenticate and authorize users regardless of location keeping their growing attack surface secure.
2. External Attack Surface Management (EASM)
EASM technologies focus on visibility across a business’s external-facing assets, including servers, software applications, and remote credentials. This includes email and web security, areas that are often left exposed as digital infrastructure rapidly expands.
Web vulnerability assessments can identify entry points in an email server’s attack surface. Once identified, web application firewalls can be deployed to protect vulnerable areas. SSL introspection, another web security feature, can detect and prevent potential threats hidden in encrypted connections.
EASM solutions continuously monitor web applications, including email accounts and public-facing websites — to detect and respond to vulnerabilities in real time. Network administrators can configure access rules for each application, ensuring sensitive data is protected based on the network’s specific needs.
As businesses scale their eCommerce operations and collect more customer data, securing email and website infrastructure becomes even more critical. Each expansion increases the attack surface, creating additional vectors for cybercriminals to exploit.
3. Digital Risk Protection Service (DRPS)
A digital risk protection service (DRPS) is an attack surface assessment technology that focuses on threat detection within the business’s on-site network. Businesses leverage DRPS solutions to address their growing security needs as they scale their operations to accommodate more network users, customer accounts, web applications, and more.
In-house risk prevention at this scale is cost and labor-intensive, which is why businesses turn to DRPS technologies to protect their external-facing IT assets with four important processes:
- Mapping the attack surface: DRPS technologies assess a network’s threat potential by analyzing and logging the business’s out-facing network surfaces to give the system a complete picture of the attack vulnerabilities.
- Monitoring data sources: Modern businesses face cybersecurity threats from numerous data sources, even those not directly connected to their operations. Third-party applications used by their clients or suppliers, social media accounts, and support channels can pose potential threats when unprotected.
- Managing intelligence workflows: Digital risk protection establishes that external-facing data flows are managed by threat priority, which can change as the business scales its operations and increases its attack surface.
- Mitigating risks: DRPS technologies can automate leak detection and confinement procedures to take the strain off in-house security teams. Exhaustive technology solutions allow businesses to prioritize important risks to their attack surfaces and continuously update protocols to match the demands of new threats.
Strengthen Your Security with Advantage Tech
Modern businesses are responsible for protecting their clients, employees, customers, and operational data from an ever-evolving threat landscape. Hackers are constantly developing new methods to exploit unsecured attack vectors, making it essential for organizations to adopt technologies and strategies that keep pace with their growth.
Regardless of which attack surface assessment technologies you deploy, partnering with an experienced cybersecurity firm ensures your network is properly established, managed, and secured at any scale.
Contact our team at Advantage.Tech today for custom network solutions that protect your valuable IT assets from the latest threats.