Minimizing cyber risk through four essential steps in external attack surface management (EASM)

In today's digital age, the number of corporate assets connected to the internet is growing exponentially, making it crucial to manage the external attack surface effectively. This is where External Attack Surface Management (EASM) comes into play.

EASM is an essential strategy for minimizing external cyber risk. The most important factor in this process is a short response time for critical risks, including both detection and closing relevant vulnerabilities. Continuous EASM can help validate the effectiveness of the measures taken to reduce external cyber risk.

Identification of all assets is crucial for effective protection and active management of the attack surface. However, asset discovery is not enough; an iterative process called EASM is required. This process includes identification and classification of assets, risk detection, risk assessment, prioritization, and remediation.

An effective EASM solution should integrate with existing processes and systems via appropriate interfaces to ensure seamless information handoff and prompt remediation of critical risks. It should cover all four phases to optimize the overall process and minimize the likelihood of important risks being overlooked.

Continuous, automated monitoring of publicly visible cloud assets and applications is crucial for effective protection and minimizing external cyber risk. Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) is used to find potential dangers from certain applications. Credential testing is employed to check for unauthorized logins.

An effective EASM goes beyond pure compliance standards and minimizes external cyber risk based on continuity and unity. It should also provide preventive measures to avoid similar incidents in the future, such as warning about unsecured servers or default login credentials.

Attractiveness assesses the value of the target system to attackers. Exploitability, attractiveness, and discoverability of vulnerabilities are key metrics for risk assessment. The ultimate Mean Time To Remediation (MTTR) depends on the responsiveness of the responsible departments within a company.

However, the challenge doesn't end with asset identification. Shadow IT, unapproved software applications, and unauthorized use of cloud services can complicate asset identification. To combat this, companies like CYFIRMA use a continuous and centralized EASM platform that combines cyber intelligence, attack surface discovery, and digital risk protection powered by AI and machine learning. This approach provides early warnings and contextual insights from an external perspective, helping companies and their clients proactively prepare for and mitigate impending cyberattacks by obtaining deep visibility into the external threat landscape.

In conclusion, a comprehensive EASM strategy is vital for any company looking to minimize its external cyber risk. By prioritizing vulnerabilities sensibly, as only about ten gaps often account for up to 90 percent of the risk in a given week, companies can significantly reduce their total external cyber risk.