{"id":289452,"date":"2021-07-02T15:04:33","date_gmt":"2021-07-02T12:04:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-an-attack-surface-is-and-why-you-should-care-cloudsavvy-it\/"},"modified":"2021-07-02T15:04:33","modified_gmt":"2021-07-02T12:04:33","slug":"what-an-attack-surface-is-and-why-you-should-care-cloudsavvy-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-an-attack-surface-is-and-why-you-should-care-cloudsavvy-it\/","title":{"rendered":"#What an Attack Surface Is, and Why You Should Care \u2013 CloudSavvy IT"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af358b235bcd\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af358b235bcd\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-an-attack-surface-is-and-why-you-should-care-cloudsavvy-it\/#Your_Attack_Surface\" >Your Attack Surface<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-an-attack-surface-is-and-why-you-should-care-cloudsavvy-it\/#Mapping_Your_Attack_Surface\" >Mapping Your Attack Surface<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-an-attack-surface-is-and-why-you-should-care-cloudsavvy-it\/#Rationalize_and_Monitor_Your_Attack_Surface\" >Rationalize and Monitor Your Attack Surface<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-an-attack-surface-is-and-why-you-should-care-cloudsavvy-it\/#Actionable_Intelligence\" >Actionable Intelligence<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-an-attack-surface-is-and-why-you-should-care-cloudsavvy-it\/#Evolve_To_Survive\" >Evolve To Survive<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#What an Attack Surface Is, and Why You Should Care \u2013 CloudSavvy IT&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content-area\">\n<figure style=\"width: 6368px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage wp-image-12405 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.cloudsavvyit.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/06\/e5587f25.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"lock illustration\" width=\"6368\" height=\"3582\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/cyber-security-information-privacy-data-protection-1453087604\" data-credittext=\"Wright Studio\/Shutterstock\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/cyber-security-information-privacy-data-protection-1453087604\">Wright Studio\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Your attack surface is the sum of the opportunities within your network that a cybercriminal can attack and exploit. To minimize cyber risk, you need to understand and manage your attack surface.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"your-attack-surface\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Your_Attack_Surface\"><\/span>Your Attack Surface<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>An organization\u2019s attack surface is often described as the sum of the ways the organization could be breached. That\u2019s a self-limiting viewpoint. It assumes the collection of known attack vectors is a complete list of the vulnerabilities that cybercriminals may try to exploit.<\/p>\n<p>A better definition is that your attack surface is the sum of all IT assets exposed to attackers. Whether they have known vulnerabilities or not, any exposed IT entity\u2013from servers to APIs\u2014should be considered part of your attack surface. A new vulnerability that compromises one of your assets might be discovered at any time.<\/p>\n<p>Anything that is exposed to cyber risk\u2014which mainly equates to the outside world\u2014is a potential target. Your attack surface is the total target area that you present to cybercriminals. Needless to say, the smaller the total target area, the better. But without being completely off the grid, it\u2019s impossible for an organization not to have an attack surface of one form or another.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re going to be stuck with an attack surface the only sensible course of action is to understand it, try to rationalize and minimize it, and secure what remains as best as possible.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"mapping-your-attack-surface\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mapping_Your_Attack_Surface\"><\/span>Mapping Your Attack Surface<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 drove a sudden migration from office-based working to home working for many employees. Calling it a \u201cmigration\u201d is perhaps being kind. In many cases what h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ened was more like abandoning ship. Either way, it was an example of an unforeseen and dramatic change in the IT estate.<\/p>\n<p>Under normal circumstances, non-trivial changes are\u2014theoretically\u2014planned well in advance, and conducted in a controlled and considered fashion. Moving from one critical line-of-business application to another, or moving from on-premise to cloud computing are examples of what is usually meant by \u201cmigration.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Putting aside the differences in execution, in both cases you\u2019ve changed your attack surface. Planned changes and forced changes alike will expose different IT assets to risk. But they may well remove or reduce risks in other areas.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not easy to visualize all of this, nor to appreciate the impact of changes. For multi-site organizations, the problem is even harder. One way to get a handle on it is to plot your IT assets, including software, on one axis of a graph and to plot threats and vulnerabilities on the other. For each vulnerability that applies to an asset, place a marker where they intersect. The resulting plot is an approximation of your attack surface.<\/p>\n<p>Software packages are available that will assist with mapping out your attack surface. Automating the process will ensure you don\u2019t forget about semi-dormant legacy systems, software, or APIs that may easily be overlooked. These packages are particularly useful at uncovering \u201cskunkworks\u201d initiatives and other shadow IT that hasn\u2019t been supplied and rolled out by your IT team. Attack Surface Management (ASM) software also provides monitoring and alerting functionality.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/owasp.org\/\">Open Web Application Security Project<\/a>\u00a0(OWASP) has created an open-source\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/owasp.org\/www-project-attack-surface-detector\/\">Attack Surface Detector<\/a>\u00a0designed to uncover a web application\u2019s endpoints, parameters, and parameter data types. It runs as a plug-in for the popular\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zaproxy.org\/\">OWASP ZAP<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/portswigger.net\/burp\">PortSwigger Burp Suite<\/a>\u00a0security testing platforms.<\/p>\n<p>Tools like these focus on the digital aspects of your attack surface. They don\u2019t consider the physical security of your premises, nor the cybersecurity awareness of your staff. Physical security and access measures control who can get into your building, and where they can go once they\u2019re inside. Cybersecurity awareness training empowers your staff to adopt best cybersecurity practices, recognize phishing attacks, <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> engineering techniques, and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly encourages them to err on the side of caution.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you lump these together with your digital attack service in one\u00a0<em>uber<\/em>-attack surface or not, physical access and cybersecurity awareness training can neither be ignored nor treated as second-class citizens. They\u2019re all part of your overall security governance. Just be aware that most ASM software only delivers benefits when considering your digital attack surface.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Using 2FA? Great. But It&#8217;s Not Infallible<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"rationalize-and-monitor-your-attack-surface\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rationalize_and_Monitor_Your_Attack_Surface\"><\/span>Rationalize and Monitor Your Attack Surface<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Armed with the information from your manual attack surface audit or the reports from your ASM software, you can critically review the attributes of your attack surface. Precisely, what makes it the size it is, and how vulnerable is it?<\/p>\n<p>Assets need to be grouped according to their criticality and sensitivity. They\u2019re critical if they\u2019d significantly adversely affect your organization\u2019s operation. if they were compromised. They\u2019re sensitive if they handle personal data or any company-private information.<\/p>\n<p>Are all assets required in their current form? Can some be combined, increasing security and cutting costs? Do shadow IT projects need to be closed down or rolled into the corporate estate? Is your network topology still the optimum layout for your organization\u2019s needs today, in terms of functionality, productivity, and security? Do all of the administrative or other privileged accounts still have a sound business case behind them?<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve asked all the questions raised by the audit and agreed on the responses there will almost certainly be remedial work required to close vulnerabilities and secure the network. Once that is completed, re-scan or re-audit your network to establish a baseline of your attack surface, and then monitor for changes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How To Defend Yourself Against Rootkits<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"actionable-intelligence\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Actionable_Intelligence\"><\/span>Actionable Intelligence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Attack surface management systems provide\u2014to differing degrees\u2014a dashboard showing the real-time status of the assets that make up your attack surface. Alerts notify you of additions or changes that affect your attack surface. The criticality and sensitivity of your IT assets will guide your prioritization of these assets. Make sure the high-priority assets are displayed prominently in the dashboard or, at least, have the most comprehensive alerting mechanisms applied to them.<\/p>\n<p>Gaining insights into your attack surface, rationalizing, securing it, and monitoring it are all important steps, but they mean nothing if you\u2019re not going to react to the information that your ASM software delivers. This might be as simple as applying patches or investigating unexplained events.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll already have a thorough patch management process and schedule in place to handle scheduled patch releases and extraordinary emergency patches. If your ASM flags up that an endpoint with vulnerabilities has been connected to the network, your team can decide whether to remove it from the network or patch it up to date. Handling the exceptions to your regular patching regime makes the process of picking off the outliers much easier.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Why Are Some Network Ports Risky, And How Do You Secure Them?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Evolve_To_Survive\"><\/span>Evolve To Survive<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Attack surface management is becoming a priority for many organizations. The number and type of devices connected to networks are growing and changing. The overnight switch to homeworking is one example. The explosive growth of Internet of Things devices, and hybrid- or cloud-computing are others.<\/p>\n<p>The attack surface is evolving faster than ever. That\u2019s why proactive management and monitoring are a must.\n<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cloudsavvyit.com\/12062\/what-an-attack-surface-is-and-why-you-should-care\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#What an Attack Surface Is, and Why You Should Care \u2013 CloudSavvy IT&#8221; Wright Studio\/Shutterstock Your attack surface is the sum of the opportunities within your network that a cybercriminal can attack and exploit. To minimize cyber risk, you need to understand and manage your attack surface. Your Attack Surface An organization\u2019s attack surface is&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":289453,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.cloudsavvyit.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/06\/e5587f25.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-289452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289452","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=289452"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289452\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/289453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=289452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=289452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=289452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}