7 cyber assets secretly expanding your attack surface (and how to find them) – Source: www.cybertalk.org

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

You’ve invested in cyber prevention and defense tools; next-gen firewalls, endpoint detection and response, SIEM, and more. However, despite this, breaches continue to occur. Perhaps your organization has contended with more breaches than it would care to admit.

And at this point, maybe you’re ready to just about toss in the towel. But before you’re bought out by burnout, consider the following:

One reason for consistent breaches pertains to obscure cyber assets. Yes, your enterprise might have a trove of cyber assets that are unknown to your team, flying under the radar and secretly expanding your attack surface.

These marauding and elusive assets create unseen vulnerabilities that cyber attackers are eager to exploit. From rogue cloud instances to server misconfigurations, any untracked cyber resource or failure represents a potential entry point into your networks.

In this article, discover seven frequently overlooked cyber assets that could accidentally increase your cyber risk exposure. We also provide guidance on how to identify these hidden threats within your environment. Keep reading to learn more.

1. Orphaned cloud resources. As cloud adoption accelerates, it becomes easier for cloud resources like storage buckets, databases, and compute instances to go untracked and unprotected. Orphaned from active monitoring, these ghost assets provide attackers with a backdoor into your cloud environment.

2. Rogue internet-exposed assets. From authenticated web apps to database servers, any internet-exposed asset represents risk if not properly secured. Rogue assets that slip through the cracks give hackers a direct path into your internal networks.

3. Forgotten personal/BYOD devices. With hybrid workforces now the norm, personal and BYOD devices have multiplied. Many go unaccounted for and lack security controls. They serve as unmonitored entry points to corporate data.

4. Sprawling internet of things (IoT). The attempted business optimization efforts, as through IoT, have flooded networks with countless smart devices. However, IoT security is frequently an afterthought, leaving deployments of smart cameras, sensors, HVAC controllers and more as low-hanging fruit for hackers.

5. Misconfigured network infrastructure. Oversights like open ports, unsecured protocols, and improper access controls on routers, switches and other network equipment can enable lateral movement within your infrastructure.

6. Outdated software/hardware. From OS vulnerabilities to end-of-life appliances, outdated and unpatched systems inevitably creep into complex environments, creating exploitable weaknesses.

7. Acquired company/asset blind spots. Mergers and acquisitions often introduce inherited risks in the form of untracked assets, technical debt, and risky integrations from the acquired entity.

Attack surface monitoring

How can you identify and mitigate the risks that derive from these unknown, but extant, cyber resources? The answer is continuous attack surface monitoring.

Advanced attack surface management solutions provide real-time discovery of all cyber assets across on-prem, cloud, home, and IoT environments. With a high level of visibility, as presented through a unified platform, you can accurately assess security posture and prioritize previously unknown risks.

Leaving any asset untracked is akin to leaving your doorway wide open to attackers. Illuminate your entire attack surface, and eliminate your hidden cyber risks. Learn more about top-tier attack surface monitoring and management tools, here.

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