Safedwall’s External Attack Surface Management (EASM) is a proactive cybersecurity approach aimed at identifying, monitoring, and mitigating vulnerabilities and potential entry points into an organization’s network or systems from an external perspective. In essence, it involves a comprehensive assessment of all the digital assets, connections, and exposures that can be targeted or exploited by malicious actors outside the organization’s perimeter.

Here’s a breakdown of what EASM entails:

1. Asset Identification: EASM begins with the identification of all digital assets owned or associated with the organization. This includes websites, servers, applications, databases, cloud instances, IoT devices, and any other digital resources.
2. Mapping Connections: Once assets are identified, EASM maps out the connections and relationships between them. This involves understanding how different assets interact with each other and with external entities such as partners, suppliers, customers, and third-party services.
3. Vulnerability Assessment: With the asset inventory and connections mapped, EASM conducts a thorough vulnerability assessment. This involves scanning for known vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, weak security controls, and potential points of entry that could be exploited by attackers.
4. Threat Intelligence Integration: EASM incorporates threat intelligence feeds to stay informed about emerging threats, attack trends, and tactics used by cybercriminals. This helps in prioritizing remediation efforts based on the likelihood and severity of potential attacks.
5. Continuous Monitoring: EASM is not a one-time activity but rather an ongoing process. Continuous monitoring is essential to keep track of changes in the external attack surface due to system updates, new deployments, or evolving threats. Automated tools and manual reviews play a crucial role in this aspect.
6. Risk Prioritization and Mitigation: Once vulnerabilities and exposures are identified, they are prioritized based on their potential impact and likelihood of exploitation. EASM helps organizations focus their resources on addressing the most critical risks first through patching, configuration changes, or other remediation measures.
7. Incident Response Preparation: EASM also contributes to incident response preparedness by providing insights into the organization’s exposure landscape. This enables faster detection and response to security incidents, minimizing the impact of successful attacks.

Overall, External Attack Surface Management is a proactive strategy that helps organizations strengthen their defenses against external threats by understanding, monitoring, and reducing their attack surface. By staying ahead of potential vulnerabilities and exposures, organizations can better protect their assets, data, and reputation in an increasingly complex threat landscape.