An attack surface is essentially any possible entry point into your system, like open doors and windows in a house. It includes anything an attacker can exploit to get in and cause damage. Think of it as a map of all your potential vulnerabilities in the cyber world.
In the digital age, attack surfaces are constantly growing. New technologies, the move to the cloud, and remote work are expanding the organizational perimeter and creating more vulnerabilities. Managing the attack surface is becoming critical to protecting your digital assets and preventing cyber attacks.
Why is Attack Surface Management Important?
In today’s dynamic cyber world, attack surface management is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Think of it as routine maintenance for your car – if you don’t take care of it, it will eventually break down.
Hackers are always looking for new ways to exploit vulnerabilities, and if you’re not one step ahead, you could find yourself in trouble. Attack surface management helps you identify these vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them, allowing you to take steps to fix them. It’s like being a cyber detective protecting your business.
In addition, external attack surface management reduces the risk of exposures and breaches, ensuring that your sensitive information remains safe and secure.
What are Attack Surface Management Tools?
To address the challenges of attack surface management, ASM (Attack Surface Management) tools have been developed. These tools act like scanners that automatically discover and manage all your external assets. They check websites, cloud applications, and anything connected to the internet that could be a target for attackers.
The ASM tool evaluates your assets against commercial and open-source threat databases and creates security ratings. It’s like getting a detailed report on your security posture, with an emphasis on vulnerabilities.
In addition, ASM tools provide real-time information about your organization’s risk profile. They track infrastructure changes and identify new risks. Some tools even scan the dark web to identify exposed credentials, allowing you to respond quickly and change passwords before attackers exploit them.
Microsoft Defender EASM: The Leading Tool for Attack Surface Management
So after we understand what an attack surface is and why it’s important to manage it, it’s time to get to know the tool that will help you do it in the best way: Microsoft Defender EASM. This is an innovative tool from Microsoft designed to manage your external attack surfaces.
Defender EASM is not just another security tool – it complements the existing security array and integrates seamlessly with other tools. It continuously maps and discovers external assets, such as websites, servers, and cloud applications, and provides important insights into your infrastructure.
The tool uses Microsoft’s advanced scanning technology to discover new connections and identify vulnerabilities. It also analyzes vulnerability and infrastructure data to present key and critical findings in a clear and simple way.
One of the great advantages of Defender EASM is that it provides useful ASM reports even for non-technical stakeholders. This means that your senior management, potential partners, and customers can easily understand the organization’s security posture and make informed decisions.
Benefits of Using Defender EASM
Using Defender EASM offers a wide range of benefits for organizations looking to improve their security posture. The tool enables continuous discovery and mapping of the digital attack surface, and provides important insights into the external and online infrastructure.
Defender EASM helps identify critical vulnerabilities and risks, allowing organizations to take proactive steps to mitigate risks. In addition, the tool integrates into a complementary security array, improving threat detection and response processes.
Thanks to its continuous monitoring capabilities, Defender EASM provides real-time information on the organization’s overall risk profile, enabling informed decisions regarding security investments.
In summary, external attack surface management is a vital process for securing organizations in the digital age. ASM tools like Defender EASM help manage and reduce risks, and provide important insights into the organizational infrastructure.
Implementing an ASM tool contributes to a significant improvement in the overall security posture, and allows organizations to protect their digital assets more effectively. In an age where cyber attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, attack surface management is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.
