The threats of cybersecurity are everywhere in our heavily digitized world. A lot of businesses make the news every day by becoming victims of cyber attacks. Their online defense strategy should be at the top of their agenda. That’s why you need to think about your external attack surface management and add it to your general security strategy, to make it even stronger.

But do you know that ASM has two critical sides: external and internal attack surface management? Let’s dive in and discuss what each of them means, and why both are important to your cybersecurity.

What is an Attack Surface?

First things first: what is an attack surface in general? Simply put, it’s all the various entry points that a hacker can use to gain access to your systems.

Think of it this way: every open window or unlocked door in your house provides an entry point for intruders. The attack surface management, external or internal, performed by teams like Immuniweb, basically works in the same way. Every asset that may be vulnerable, in the digital space, be it website-related, application-related, or user device-related—every part needs to be identified. In this way, you will be able to determine your attack surface.

Here are a few examples of common attack surfaces:

• Websites and online applications;
• Publicly accessible APIs;
• Internal networks and devices;
• Employee credentials and user accounts.

You need to keep each asset up to date to keep it protected against hackers. You can be proactive in finding and managing these attack surfaces before hackers can use those vulnerabilities against you. A lot of companies invest in this solution for this reason.

Any one of those entry points could turn out to be the weak link. And any weak link hackers can use to breach your organization and steal data, cause you financial losses or tarnish your company’s reputation. So it’s important to secure each of these attack surfaces correctly. All in an effort to reduce the risk of a cyberattack.

What’s External ASM All About?

The management of an external attack surface describes the process of monitoring and securing assets from the outside perspective. This includes anything accessible over the internet: your company website, APIs, and public cloud services. Here are a few key points to know about it.

Common Threats and Vulnerabilities

There are many threats are many external attack surfaces. Cybercriminals use methodologies that will overload your servers, so they can exploit outdated software and take control of your applications. Even misconfigurations expose a system to attacks and leave a backdoor open. So it’s important to keep your hand on the pulse with this.

Tools and Strategies

For active external attack surface management done by teams like Immuniweb, you will want to have the right tools and strategies in place. Consider buying a web vulnerability scanner that identifies issues on your website or API automatically.

You can perform routine penetration testing, too. This often exposes hidden vulnerabilities and helps you take preemptive steps before attackers can uncover those weaknesses themselves. The point here is to be proactive and do regular checkups to keep your defenses strong.

What is an Internal ASM About?

Whereas external ASM has to do with what’s going on outside your organization, internal ASM focuses on the inside stuff. This means your digital assets and activities going on within your network. These can include everything from employee devices to internal applications and network infrastructure. So here are a few main points you should know about.

Common Threats and Vulnerabilities

Vulnerable internal attack surfaces are often as dangerous, if not more so, as external ones. Insider threats, from malicious employees to basic human errors, could be responsible for giant data breaches.

There is also the possibility of malware breaching your internal network if it is not contained in time. Some device vulnerabilities might include weak passwords or outdated software that provide an attacker with a gateway to the area of interest.

Tools and Strategies

Effective internal ASM uses such tools as EDR solutions, which monitor devices for suspicious activities, and user behavior analytics to identify suspicious activity that might signify a security breach. The idea is to have a monitoring system that runs nonstop in the background so that potential threats can be caught well in advance.

Why Both External and Internal ASM Matter

Now that we have figured out both external and internal ASM, you may begin to question how relevant is it to pay attention to both. The answer is that any valid approach to cybersecurity has to be holistic. Neglect one side and you are left vulnerable.

Once a hacker has exploited an external weakness, they can get inside to further take advantage of your internal network’s weaknesses. Understanding how these two types of threats interact is important for effective risk management.

External ASM protects your public assets, such as websites, APIs, and cloud services—these are under constant attention from all kinds of sources. And if you do not properly monitor the internal ASM, once a hacker has breached your external defenses, they can move further and nothing will stop them.

So with that in mind, here are a few key points to take into consideration:

• Defense-in-depth strategy. Combining both external and internal ASM creates layers of security that make the cybercriminal’s life more difficult.
• Real-time threat detection. Continuous monitoring of both helps you to quickly detect any suspicious activity, which means you can react quicker too.
• Comprehensive risk management. Addressing both attack surfaces will give you a full picture of the potential risks and vulnerabilities that make your security better.

So if you reduce your attack surface, both externally and internally, you will stay ahead of the cybercriminals that might want to exploit one or the other.

Conclusion

It is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to cybersecurity. Now that you have seen the importance of both ASM, this may be a good time to think through your own strategy. Are you giving equal attention to your external and internal ASM? If not, then it is probably time for you to improve your defenses.

Take the time and resources now to make sure your organization is secure on all fronts, and your future self will thank you.