Attack Surface Management: Build Critical Visibility and Monitoring of Your Attack Surface

Attack Surface Management (ASM) is a proactive approach to cybersecurity that involves identifying, monitoring, and minimizing an organization’s digital attack surface. The attack surface includes all the hardware, software, SaaS, and cloud assets an organization owns that could potentially be exploited by cybercriminals. This encompasses everything from servers and databases to APIs and third-party services.

The goal of ASM is to continuously monitor these assets, identify potential vulnerabilities, and mitigate risks before they can be exploited. This is particularly crucial as organizations increasingly adopt cloud services and remote work environments, which expand their attack surface and expose them to new threats.

Challenges for CISOs Today

Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) face numerous challenges in today’s rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape:

1. Expanding Attack Surface: With the adoption of cloud services, IoT devices, and remote work, the attack surface has expanded significantly. Managing and securing all these assets is a complex and ongoing task.
2. Shadow IT: Unauthorized use of IT resources, often referred to as Shadow IT, can introduce vulnerabilities that are difficult to detect and manage. Employees may use unsanctioned software or services that bypass security controls.
3. Supply Chain Risks: As organizations rely more on third-party vendors, they become vulnerable to supply chain attacks. Ensuring that all vendors adhere to strict security standards is challenging but necessary.
4. Skill Shortages: There is a global shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals. CISOs often struggle to find and retain the talent needed to manage complex security environments.
5. Regulatory Compliance: Meeting the requirements of various regulatory frameworks, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA, adds another layer of complexity. Failure to comply can result in hefty fines and damage to reputation.
6. Advanced Threats: Cybercriminals are constantly developing new tactics and tools to breach defenses. Staying ahead of these advanced threats requires continuous vigilance and the ability to quickly adapt to new attack vectors.

Active Vulnerability Checking

A robust ASM program and solution will actively check assets for vulnerability exposure, providing organizations with crucial information about potential security risks. This proactive approach helps in identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by attackers, ensuring a robust security posture.

Searchable Inventory

Maintaining a searchable inventory of an organization’s technology ecosystem is essential for comprehensive security management. You need a complete view of all assets, enabling security teams to efficiently monitor and manage their digital environment. This visibility is critical for identifying and addressing potential security gaps.

Real- World Coverage

An ASM program covers fast-breaking vulnerabilities and aligns with recognized databases like the NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD) and CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerability (KEV) catalog. This alignment ensures that your organization stays updated with the latest threat intelligence and can respond promptly to emerging threats.

Identification of Unsanctioned Resources

Unmanaged or unknown assets entering the environment pose significant security risks. An ASM solution identifies these unsanctioned resources, helping organizations maintain visibility and control over their digital assets. This capability is crucial for preventing unauthorized access and potential security breaches.

Digital Supply Chain Monitoring

ASM extends beyond third- and fourth-party providers to identify and assess supply chain ecosystems. Evaluating the external security posture of each vendor helps organizations manage supply chain risks and ensure the security of their entire digital supply chain.

Merger & Acquisition Support

Assessing the external security posture and risks associated with potential acquisitions is vital for successful due diligence and post-acquisition integration. ASM provides valuable insights into the security landscape of potential acquisitions, facilitating informed decision-making and smooth integration processes.

Subsidiary Monitoring

Centralized visibility across subsidiary entities is essential for maintaining consistent security standards. ASM monitors security policy adherence and standardizes tools and practices across all subsidiaries, ensuring a unified and secure organizational environment.

Next-Gen Security with Arctiq’s Managed XDR + ASM as a Service

Arctiq’s Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) and ASM as a Service fortify cybersecurity defenses by providing comprehensive visibility and monitoring of digital assets and attack surfaces. ASM as a Service supplies vital context for MXDR solutions, enhancing threat detection and incident response capabilities. This combined approach ensures a well-rounded security posture, reducing potential attack vectors while improving threat detection and response efficiency.

1. Managed Security Operations: Arctiq’s three North American Security Operations Centers provide continuous coverage, 24/7/365. A team of security experts handles deployment, integration, onboarding, issue management, remediation, reporting, and ownership confirmation.
2. Comprehensive Visibility: The service offers extensive visibility into the extended enterprise, starting with DNS data and expanding to discover assets, services, application technologies, and cloud resources. This thorough understanding of the organization's digital footprint is crucial for effective security management. You can’t secure what you don’t know.
3. Continuous Monitoring and Threat Identification: Assets are continuously monitored for exposure. Vulnerabilities and misconfigurations are identified and prioritized using Mandiant Threat Intelligence, ensuring proactive risk mitigation.
4. Practical Insights and Integration: Daily activities and alerts facilitate continuous risk monitoring. Seamless integration into existing workflows through platforms like ServiceNow, JIRA, and Splunk ensures that security operations teams can efficiently investigate and respond to critical exposures.

Ready to enhance your cybersecurity defenses and stay ahead of evolving threats? Book your consult with Arctiq today.