Attack surface management software is used to continuously monitor networks, assets, cloud services and other artifacts to identify, address, and remediate vulnerabilities. These tools automate numerous tasks and aid in prioritizing impactful threats and vulnerabilities to minimize risk. These tools also expand on the functionality of code-focused vulnerability management tools to address infrastructural and other internet-facing assets.
Modern applications and computing environments create numerous threat vectors that allow attackers to gain system access and/or impact performance. Attack surface management solutions aim to provide a real-time analysis of network and cloud assets for misconfigurations, weak passwords, shadow IT, and myriad other vectors. Once known and tracked, companies integrate threat data into other security solutions, automate remediation and continuously update network defenses as threats emerge.
To qualify for inclusion in the Attack Surface Management category, a product must:
Monitor network, cloud, and application components for vulnerabilities
Automate discovery of IPv4, IPv6, Cloud, and IoT Assets
Provide risk-based prioritization for remediation
Facilitate remediation efforts based on prioritized risks