Today’s cyber threats are significantly more complex than in the past, requiring better and more consolidated ways to address these challenges. Security teams are constantly seeking ways to reduce risks and enhance security posture. Exposure Management has emerged as a comprehensive approach to help organizations combat cyber threats and improve their security posture.
Exposure Management involves the systematic identification, evaluation, and remediation of security weaknesses across the entire digital footprint of an organization. It goes beyond just software vulnerabilities, encompassing misconfigurations, identities, and other credential-based issues. This approach helps organizations strengthen their cybersecurity posture by proactively identifying potential weaknesses and taking measurable actions to detect and prevent exposures.
By focusing on prioritizing critical exposures based on their actual impact in an attack scenario, Exposure Management allows organizations to allocate resources more efficiently and improve overall cybersecurity posture. Let’s explore how Exposure Management compares to some alternative approaches and why it should be a key component of organizations’ cybersecurity strategies.
What is Exposure Management?
Exposure Management is a comprehensive approach to identifying, evaluating, and remediating security weaknesses across an organization’s digital landscape. It considers vulnerabilities as well as potential ways attackers could exploit these weaknesses. Gartner’s Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) framework operationalizes Exposure Management, enabling organizations to take measurable actions to detect and prevent potential exposures consistently.
Exposure Management takes a holistic view, allowing organizations to focus on critical vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. By continually monitoring for new threats and reevaluating overall risk, Exposure Management empowers organizations to efficiently allocate resources and improve their cybersecurity posture.
Now, let’s compare Exposure Management to other common approaches used to understand and address cybersecurity exposures.
Exposure Management vs. Penetration Testing (Pentesting)
Penetration Testing simulates real-world attacks to expose vulnerabilities in an organization’s defenses. While Pentesting focuses on specific targets with simulated attacks, Exposure Management takes a broader view by scanning the entire digital landscape using a wider range of tools and simulations. Combining Pentesting with Exposure Management ensures resources are directed toward the most critical risks, leading to a more robust defense.
Exposure Management vs. Red Teaming
Red Teaming simulates full-blown cyberattacks, mimicking the tactics of real-world attackers. Exposure Management, on the other hand, focuses on proactively identifying and prioritizing all potential security weaknesses, including vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and human error. By revealing gaps in the security strategy, Red Teaming exercises complement Exposure Management to provide insights into the effectiveness of existing security measures.
Exposure Management vs. Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) Tools
Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) tools simulate real-world attack scenarios to challenge an organization’s security posture. While BAS tools focus on testing security control effectiveness, Exposure Management takes a holistic view of potential security weaknesses, including misconfigurations and human error. By combining BAS tools with Exposure Management, organizations can achieve a comprehensive understanding of their security posture.
Exposure Management vs. Risk-Based Vulnerability Management (RBVM)
Risk-Based Vulnerability Management (RBVM) prioritizes vulnerabilities by analyzing them through the lens of risk. RBVM complements Exposure Management by prioritizing exposures based on threat context. By combining the comprehensive view of Exposure Management with the risk-based prioritization of RBVM, organizations can strengthen their overall defense against cyber threats.
The Bottom Line#
By combining Exposure Management with other approaches, organizations can continually reduce risk and improve their security posture. This multi-layered approach empowers security stakeholders to identify weaknesses, understand their impact, and prioritize remediation. Adapting strategies to stay ahead of cyber threats is crucial in today’s evolving threat landscape.
Note: This article was contributed by Shay Siksik, VP Customer Experience at XM Cyber.
