In today’s digital landscape, attack surfaces are expanding at a pace that outstrips the ability of security teams to keep up. With the rapid adoption of cloud technologies, it has become crucial to understand what is exposed and where attackers are most likely to strike. This is where the concept of Attack Surface Management (ASM) becomes essential.
Understanding Attack Surfaces Management
An attack surface encompasses all digital assets that are accessible to an attacker, whether they are secure or vulnerable, known or unknown, in active use or not. These assets can be both internal and external. For instance, a malicious email attachment landing in a colleague’s inbox represents an internal attack surface, while a new FTP server put online represents an external one. The external attack surface is dynamic, continuously evolving over time, and includes assets on-premises, in the cloud, in subsidiary networks, and in third-party environments. Essentially, your attack surface is anything that a hacker can target.
What Is Attack Surface Management?
Attack Surface Management is the process of identifying these assets and services and minimizing their exposure to prevent exploitation by hackers. Exposure can refer to current vulnerabilities, such as missing patches or misconfigurations, as well as potential future vulnerabilities or determined attacks. For example, an admin interface like cPanel or a firewall administration page may be secure against known attacks today, but a new vulnerability discovered tomorrow could turn it into a significant risk. Traditional vulnerability management would address the issue after detection, whereas ASM proactively reduces exposure by removing such interfaces from the internet before they become problematic.
The Need for Attack Surface Management
Asset management challenges
The necessity of ASM is underscored by the increasing complexity of asset management. Historically, asset management has been a labor-intensive task for IT teams, often leading to overlooked assets that could evade vulnerability management processes. This was evident in the Deloitte breach of 2016, where an overlooked administrator account was exploited, exposing sensitive client data. Similarly, during mergers and acquisitions, companies may inherit systems they are unaware of, as seen in the TalkTalk breach of 2015, where millions of unencrypted records were stolen from an unknown system.
The Shift to Cloud
The migration to cloud platforms like Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and AWS has further complicated the landscape. While these platforms enable rapid development and scaling, they also shift security responsibilities to development teams, creating visibility gaps. Cybersecurity teams need tools to keep pace with these changes.
A Modern Solution
ASM recognizes that asset management and vulnerability management must work hand-in-hand. Companies need tools to effectively manage this process. For example, an Intruder customer once reported a bug in their cloud connectors, which turned out to be an unknown IP address in an AWS region. This highlights the importance of visibility in ASM.
Where Does the Attack Surface Stop?
When using SaaS tools like HubSpot, which hold sensitive customer data, it is not practical to scan them for vulnerabilities. Instead, third-party risk platforms assess these tools against cybersecurity safeguards. However, external agencies, such as design agencies creating websites, can blur the lines. Without long-term management contracts, these websites may remain live until a vulnerability is discovered and exploited. Third-party and supplier risk management software and insurance can help protect businesses from such issues.
Securing Your Attack Surface with Intruder
Here are six ways Intruder helps secure your attack surface:
1. Discover Unknown Assets:
Intruder continuously monitors for assets that can create exploitable gaps, such as subdomains, related domains, APIs, and login pages. This ensures that even the most obscure assets are identified and secured.
2. Search for Exposed Ports and Services:
Use Intruder’s Attack Surface View to find what’s exposed to the internet. With a quick search, you can check your perimeter for the ports and services that should – and, more importantly, shouldn’t – be accessible from the internet. This helps in identifying potential entry points for attackers.
3. Find Exposures:
Intruder provides greater coverage by customizing the output of multiple scanning engines. It checks for over a thousand attack surface-specific issues, including exposed admin panels, publicly-facing databases, misconfigurations, and more. This comprehensive approach ensures that no vulnerability goes unnoticed.
4. Scan Your Attack Surface:
The intruder continuously monitors your attack surface for changes and initiates scans when new services are detected. By linking Intruder with your cloud accounts, you can effortlessly identify and scan new services, minimizing blind spots and ensuring that all exposed cloud assets are included in your vulnerability management program.
5. Stay Ahead of Emerging Threats:
When a new critical vulnerability is identified, the Intruder promptly starts scans to secure your attack surface as the threat landscape changes. With Rapid Response, their security team checks your systems for the latest issues being exploited faster than automated scanners can, alerting you immediately if your organization is at risk.
6. Prioritize Issues:
Intruder helps you focus on the vulnerabilities that pose the greatest risk to your business. For example, you can assess the probability of your vulnerabilities being exploited within the next 30 days and filter them by ‘known’ and ‘very likely’ to create a practical list of the most critical risks to tackle. This prioritization helps in efficiently allocating resources to mitigate the most critical threats.
By leveraging these six strategies, Intruder ensures that your attack surface is continuously monitored, assessed, and secured against potential threats. This proactive approach helps in maintaining a robust security posture and reducing the risk of successful cyberattacks.
FAQ
1. What is the difference between ASM and DAST?
Attack Surface Management (ASM) and Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) are both crucial for cybersecurity, but they serve different purposes. ASM focuses on identifying and managing all digital assets that could be vulnerable to attacks, including those that are unknown or not actively used. It provides a comprehensive view of the attack surface from an attacker’s perspective. On the other hand, DAST is a testing method that evaluates the security of applications by simulating attacks in real-time. It identifies vulnerabilities in running applications without access to the source code.
2. What is an ASM security?
ASM security refers to the practices and tools used to manage and secure an organization’s attack surface. This involves discovering all digital assets, assessing their vulnerabilities, and minimizing their exposure to potential threats. ASM security aims to provide a proactive approach to cybersecurity by continuously monitoring and managing the attack surface to prevent exploitation by attackers.
3. What is the difference between ASM and BAS?
Attack Surface Management (ASM) and Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) are both important for cybersecurity, but they have different focuses. ASM is about identifying and managing all digital assets that could be vulnerable to attacks, providing a comprehensive view of the attack surface. BAS, on the other hand, involves simulating real-world attacks on an organization’s systems to test their defenses and identify weaknesses. BAS helps organizations understand how well their security measures work in practice and where improvements are needed.
4. What is an example of an attack surface?
An example of an attack surface could be a company’s external-facing web applications, such as a customer login portal or an e-commerce site. These applications are accessible from the internet and can be targeted by attackers. Other examples include exposed databases, cloud services, and even employee email accounts that could be exploited through phishing attacks.
5. What is ASM used for?
ASM is used to identify, assess, and manage an organization’s attack surface. It helps organizations understand what digital assets are exposed to potential attackers, evaluate their vulnerabilities, and take steps to minimize their exposure. ASM provides a proactive approach to cybersecurity, helping organizations stay ahead of potential threats and reduce the risk of successful attacks.
6. What is the role of an ASM?
The role of an ASM is to continuously monitor and manage an organization’s attack surface. This involves discovering all digital assets, assessing their vulnerabilities, and taking steps to minimize their exposure to potential threats. ASM helps organizations understand their attack surface from an attacker’s perspective and provides actionable insights to improve their security posture. By proactively managing the attack surface, ASM helps reduce the risk of successful cyberattacks and enhances overall cybersecurity.
Get Started with Attack Surface Management
Intruder’s External Attack Surface Management (EASM) platform addresses the fundamental cybersecurity need to understand how attackers view your organization, identify potential entry points, and prioritize and eliminate risks. By booking a session with Intruder’s team, you can learn how to protect your attack surface effectively.
Attack Surface Management is essential in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. By understanding and managing your attack surface, you can stay ahead of potential threats and safeguard your organization from cyberattacks.
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