5 Key Steps to Shrink Your Company's Attack Surface
Cybersecurity experts warn that even minor oversights in a company's attack surface can escalate into major incidents or serve as entry points for attackers. With IT infrastructure constantly evolving, managing this sprawling network of assets and access points poses a significant challenge.
Security experts recommend five key measures to reduce attack surface risk. Firstly, conducting thorough assessments and inventories helps identify all assets and vulnerabilities. Secondly, applying strict access controls and minimizing unnecessary permissions limits potential damage. Regular updates and patches ensure systems remain secure, while strong encryption and next-generation cryptographic standards protect sensitive data.
Continuous monitoring and streamlining of security policies are also crucial. This helps eliminate unnoticed risks and simplifies incident response. However, merely mapping the attack surface provides evidence of its size, not automatic risk reduction.
Training, awareness, and cultural adaptation regarding incident reporting are vital elements of any risk mitigation strategy. Reducing the attack surface can accelerate incident response, simplify report creation, and lessen the compliance burden. Access controls must reflect reality and be regularly reviewed to prevent horizontal movement in case of a breach. The complexity and opacity of the IT environment, along with increasing third-party integrations and shadow IT, exacerbate these challenges.
In conclusion, reducing the attack surface is an ongoing process that involves continuous asset discovery, risk evaluation, and transparency. It not only helps manage risks but also simplifies incident response and compliance. However, it's a complex task that requires constant vigilance and adaptation, given the ever-evolving nature of IT infrastructure and the increasing threat landscape.
