As an organization’s attack surface expands—encompassing across the cloud, remote, and interconnected digital supply chains—the potential for cyber risk exposure grows.
Implementing a proactive cybersecurity exposure management program can enhance your understanding of your organization’s cyber risk posture and facilitate informed decision-making about how to best allocate investments and resources.
In this article, we’ll cover the key aspects of exposure management, its benefits, and how to implement it to harden their security posture.
What is exposure management?
Put simply, in the context of vulnerability management, exposure management is the process of identifying, assessing, and addressing security risks of exposed digital assets , which may include endpoints, applications, APIs or any other cloud resources being used by an organization. These assets constitute the attack surface. As severity of vulnerabilities increase, exposure management becomes critical for the purpose of effective risk assessment and mitigation.
Components of exposure management
Handling vulnerabilities requires structured and well-defined processes. Exposure management provides this framework. It lays down a systematic process that works in tandem to identify, assess, and mitigate all the risks associated with threat exposed IT assets. Here are the key components of exposure management:
Step 1: Identify exposed assets
Irrespective of the size of organization, here is a list of assets organizations use for running business operations:
- Web-based applications
- APIs
- Third-party plugins and endpoints
- Network infrastructure, such as routers, switches
- Databases containing sensitive information
- Internet of things (IoT)/OT devices
- Domain controllers
- Groups with high-level privileges
- DNS records
It is important to identify these assets in the first step as it sets the stage for effective exposure management. These are the assets that can potentially be attacked from threat actors. Also, these assets should be prioritized depending on the likelihood of attack and data sensitivity.
However, not all vulnerabilities can be identified easily as they might be hidden beneath various layers. Therefore, organizations can involve third-party offensive security service providers for the purpose.
Step 2: Attack surface mapping
In this stage, once the list of assets in the inventory is listed, map it with another list containing information about how each of these assets can be attacked by threat actors.
Let’s understand this with a tabular example given below:
| IT Asset | Associated Threats |
| Web Applications and APIs | SQL Injection, XSS, DDoS Attacks |
| Endpoints and Devices | Malware Infections, Phishing Attacks, Unpatched Vulnerabilities |
| Cloud Resources | Misconfiguration, Data Breaches, Insider Threats |
| Identities and Privileged Accounts | Credential Theft, Privilege Escalation, Account Takeover |
| Sensitive Data Repositories | Data Exfiltration, Ransomware Attacks, Compliance Violations |
| Network Infrastructure | MITM Attacks, Network Scanning, DoS Attacks |
| Domain Controllers | Unauthorized Access, Active Directory Exploits |
| Databases | Data Breaches, SQL Injection, Data Integrity Attacks |
| Third-Party Vendors | Supply Chain Attacks, Data Leakage, Compliance Risks |
Step 3: Risk assessment
Next, security team need to assess the risks after mapping the assets with risks an organization should use attack surface and attack path mapping to assess and prioritize the risks with each asset based on the following factors:
- Data sensitivity
- The likelihood for attack
- The potential impact of an attack
- Complexity of the Project or System
- Importance of asset
- Regulatory and compliance implications
- Severity of vulnerability
- Time sensitivity
Step 4: Prioritize based on risk
Once this is done, the remediation stage starts. This step provides clarity about which of the vulnerabilities need to be mitigated on a priority basis, and which of them can wait.
Step 5: Exposure mitigation
Now, once an organization ranks its exposure based on the risks, its IT and security teams can start to get rid of the risks linked to an exposed asset, like fixing vulnerabilities, closing ports that aren’t needed, changing access control rules, or even taking assets off the network.
Step 6: Continuous monitoring
Organizations’ attack surfaces are constantly evolving as they keep adding new applications and digital assets with time. Therefore, it requires continuous monitoring. Various identified assets become more or less exposed over time, and new security flaws pop up for any given asset.
To manage exposure, organizations need to keep an eye on things all the time. This helps you spot new risks as they come up and make sure your old safety measures still work.
Phases of Exposure Management
The phases of exposure management typically involve a systematic approach to identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks. Based on the search results, here are the key phases:
1. Identification
Make a list of all digital assets and possible weak points, such as networks, apps, and outside services.
2 . Assessment
Assess carefully and rank risks by how likely they are to happen and how much they could affect the company’s security.
3. Response Planning
Create a response team and come up with ways to tackle known risks, including plans to fix and lessen them.
4. Implementation
Set up required tools to handle and mitigate risks well making sure to watch and improve all the time.
5. Review and Adaptation
Continuously review digital assets for evolving attack surfaces, looking at risks again and changing plans.
Benefits of exposure management
The purpose of exposure management is to take vulnerability management to the next level. It can provide some benefits like:
- Risk prevention
Exposure management helps companies spot potential threats in advance before these vulnerabilities snowball into major crises.
- Cost savings
When you know what risks you’re facing you can plan ahead. Allocate resources more effectively. This proactive approach often leads to significant cost savings. Compared to dealing with unexpected problems as they arise.
- Peace of mind
Good exposure management creates a sense of security for everyone in the organization. Knowing that potential risks are being actively monitored and managed can reduce stress.
- Competitive advantage
Understanding your risk landscape can reveal opportunities that competitors might miss. By carefully managing exposures, companies can make informed decisions.
How to optimize exposure management at your organization
Optimizing exposure management is crucial for safeguarding your organization’s future. By implementing key strategies you can significantly enhance your ability to identify, assess and mitigate potential risks:
- Implement and leverage automation
Use advanced software tools to streamline exposure management processes. Using automated systems can continuously monitor risks; generate real-time alerts and provide comprehensive reports. This not only saves time. It also ensures that no potential threats slip through cracks.
- Educate and train stakeholders
Make sure everyone in your organization understands the criticality of exposure management. Conduct regular training sessions to keep employees updated on best practices and emerging risks. Their role in managing exposures is crucial. This creates a culture of risk awareness and encourages proactive risk mitigation at all levels.
- Conduct regular audits
Schedule periodic reviews of your exposure management strategies and processes. Audits help identify gaps in your current approach, assess effectiveness of existing controls and uncover new areas of potential risk. Regular security audits also demonstrate your commitment to continuous improvement in risk management.
- Partner with experts
Consider hiring exposure management partners like SecureLayer7 to enhance your capabilities. These specialists bring in-depth expertise Cutting-edge tools to bolster your organization’s exposure management efforts.
Elevate security posture with comprehensive exposure management
Ready to take your security to the next level? SecureLayer7 can offer top-notch exposure management. We’re not just another security firm. We’re your partners in keeping bad guys out. Our team knows their stuff.
We use the latest tech to spot risks before they become a serious threat. Whether you’re a startup or a big player. We’ve got solutions that fit like gloves. Let’s set up a call about how we can beef up your defenses.
Bottom Line
On a final note, exposure management processes require a multidisciplinary approach and this must be a part of a comprehensive vulnerability management. It helps security experts gain a clear understanding of your attack surface, establishing a baseline for robust monitoring. Get in touch with us today to find out more.
