In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, understanding the key concepts and strategies to protect an organization's precious data is vital. One such critical aspect of cybersecurity that has gained immediate importance is the management of an organization's external attack surface. So, what is external attack surface management?

What Exactly is External Attack Surface Management?

External attack surface management (EASM) is a continuous strategy utilized by businesses to identify, classify, and secure the digital systems that are exposed to the internet. This approach aims to minimize the number of targets cybercriminals could potentially breach, thus lowering the company's vulnerability to cyber threats. The "external attack surface" of an organization refers to all the digital assets and systems that the organization owns and operates that are accessible from the outside world, often through the internet.

Why External Attack Surface Management is Essential

With an increasing number of organizations utilizing cloud-based services, software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms, and various internet-connected systems, the size and complexity of the external attack surface have grown significantly. Moreover, the prevalence of remote work policies and ever-changing IT resources further serve to expand this surface. Hence, it becomes crucial for organizations to actively manage this area to mitigate the risk of cyber threats.

The practice of external attack surface management helps in the early detection and removal of unknown, unmanaged, or mismanaged digital assets, preventing them from becoming potential breach points. With EASM, organizations can identify risks before they lead to a security incident, ensuring that they stay one step ahead of potential attackers.

Key Components of External Attack Surface Management

Understanding the important components of EASM is essential to comprehend how this management strategy operates and how it combats cyber threats. Some of the main elements of an effective EASM strategy are as follows:

• Continuous Discovery: The EASM strategy involves a continuous process of finding and inventorying all external facing assets which could be potential targets for attackers.
• Risk Assessment: Once the external facing assets have been identified, the next step is to assess their associated risks based on factors like vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and exposure levels.
• Prioritizing Threats: After assessment, all potential threats and vulnerabilities are prioritized based on their severity and potential impact on the organization.
• Remediation: The final component of the strategy involves remediation actions taken to secure the identified assets. These actions may include patching up vulnerabilities, fixing misconfigurations, or decommissioning unnecessary assets.

The Importance of Integrating EASM into Your Cybersecurity Strategy

An effective external attack surface management strategy is no longer a 'good to have' addition but rather a core necessity for businesses. By integrating EASM into their cybersecurity strategy, organizations can gain insightful visibility into their external digital environment- something traditional security tools often overlook.

Most external attack surface management methods utilize advanced machine learning and data science methods to discover and analyze the organization's digital exposures. These methods consistently track and examine internet-facing assets for potential exploits, ensuring constant visibility and protection.

By uncovering unknown internet-facing assets and vulnerabilities, EASM helps businesses understand their actual digital exposure, allowing them to make more informed and security-conscious decisions.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, the question of what is external attack surface management is more than just a cybersecurity buzzword. It's an evolving field that plays a critical role in ensuring organizational data remains protected in today's complex digital landscape. By integrating a comprehensive EASM strategy into their existing cybersecurity plan, organizations can prevent many symptoms experienced by an uncontrolled and expanding attack surface, reducing their overall potential for risk and bolstering their defenses against the ever-growing cyber threat landscape.