What Is Attack Surface Management? | Buzzwords

What Is Attack Surface Management?

What is attack surface management? Well, it’s...hmmm. Why don’t I just let the bee fill you in?

Attack surface management (ASM) is the continuous process of identifying, monitoring, and managing the points of vulnerability in an organization's technology infrastructure.  

Every entry point—including cloud infrastructure, emails, phone calls, software, and any other way someone can access your company’s network—is a part of your attack surface, including all hardware, software, digital assets, and processes.  

Attack surface management is knowing about these vulnerabilities and taking steps to secure them. It helps organizations understand and reduce their exposure to cyber threats.  

By taking a proactive approach, organizations can stay ahead of potential breaches, mitigate risks, and enhance their overall cybersecurity posture. ASM is critical for ensuring that security teams have full visibility and control over their external attack surface.

Why Attack Surface Management Is Important

Due to the increasing complexity, sophistication, and frequency of cyber threats, ASM has become a crucial part of a strong cybersecurity strategy.  

As organizations expand their digital presence with cloud services, mobile devices, and remote work environments, their attack surface continues to grow, creating more entry points for malicious actors. ASM provides businesses with continuous visibility into these potential vulnerabilities, including the new ones as they are formed, enabling them to proactively identify and address weak spots before they can be exploited.

How Attack Surface Management Works

ASM works by continuously identifying, monitoring, and securing an organization’s external-facing assets to reduce vulnerabilities. ASM tools use automation to scan for potential weak points and track changes across the attack surface. Here's a quick rundown on how it works:

• Discovery: Identifies all assets connected to the internet, including devices, software, and services.
• Monitoring: Continuously scans for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and open ports.
• Risk Assessment: Prioritizes risks based on potential impact and likelihood of exploitation.
• Remediation: Provides actionable insights to fix vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

Learn More About Cybersecurity

ASM is just one part of a great cybersecurity strategy for businesses. To truly protect your business, you need a top-down, purpose-built strategy that covers your weaknesses and proactively fights attacks.

Want to learn more about cybersecurity and business technology? Watch more Buzzwords videos for breakdowns of all kinds of common technology words and phrases.