Attack Surface

What is an Attack Surface?

An organization’s attack surface is essentially all the ways a hacker can break into your systems.

Think of it like a house—every door, window, and vent is a potential entry point.

In cybersecurity, these “entry points” are vulnerabilities in your software, network, and even your employees.

The goal? Shrink this surface as much as possible.

The smaller the attack surface, the fewer opportunities there are for an attacker to exploit.

Here’s a breakdown of the different types attack surfaces:

Network: Includes all network connections, ports, protocols, and devices connected to the network. Examples: open ports, unpatched network devices.
Software: Consists of vulnerabilities in applications and operating systems. Examples: bugs, outdated software, insecure APIs.
Web: Includes vulnerabilities in both your web applications and the underlying servers. Examples: SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), unprotected endpoints.
Cloud: Consists of vulnerabilities in cloud services and infrastructure. Examples: misconfigured cloud storage, insecure APIs, insufficient access controls.

Hardware: Includes physical devices and components. Examples: tampered hardware, USB drives, IoT devices.
Facilities: Refers to physical access to buildings and rooms where sensitive data is stored. Examples: unlocked doors, lack of surveillance.

Social Engineering: Includes manipulating people into divulging confidential information. Examples: phishing emails, pretexting, baiting.
Insider Threats: Includes employees or contractors who have access to the system. Examples: disgruntled employees, compromised credentials.

Processes and Procedures: Includes vulnerabilities in operational workflows and protocols. Examples: weak password policies, inadequate employee training, insufficient incident response plans.

Think of your attack surface as the what—all the entry points, like a blueprint of your system’s vulnerabilities.

Attack vectors, on the other hand, are the how—the specific techniques (phishing, malware, etc.) used to exploit those openings.

Mapping your attack surface is like drawing a detailed floor plan of a building. Here’s how to get started:

Hardware: List all physical devices, including servers, desktops, laptops, mobile devices, and network hardware (routers, switches, firewalls, etc.).
Software: Catalog all software applications and their versions. This includes operating systems, third-party applications, in-house developed software, and cloud services.
Data: Identify where sensitive data is stored, processed, and transmitted, including databases, file storage, and data repositories.

Internal Network: Document all network segments, internal IP addresses, and subnetworks.
External Network: List all public-facing (NATted) IP addresses, domain names, and subdomains.
Connections: Map all connections between devices and networks, including VPNs, Wi-Fi networks, and remote access points.

Open Ports and Services: Identify all open ports and running services on each device, both internal and external. This should include specific software versions and patch levels.
Web Applications and APIs: List all web applications, APIs, and endpoints accessible from the internet.
Email Systems: Include email servers, gateways, and related services.

User Accounts: Catalog all user accounts, including employees, contractors, and third-party partners.
Access Levels: Document access permissions and roles for each account, focusing on privileged accounts.
Authentication Methods: Review authentication mechanisms in place, such as passwords, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and single sign-on (SSO).

Vendors and Partners: List all third-party services, applications, and vendors integrated with your systems.
APIs and External Services: Document all API connections and dependencies on external services.

Facilities: Identify all physical locations where IT assets are located, including offices, data centers, and remote sites.
Physical Access Controls: Where relevant, review measures in place to control physical access, such as keycards, biometrics, and surveillance systems.

Operational Workflows: Document critical business processes and procedures, such as software development, deployment, and backups.
Policies: Include security policies related to patch management, backups, and employee training.

Regular Assessments: Perform regular vulnerability scans, penetration tests, and security audits to identify new vulnerabilities.
Change Management: Passively monitor your asset inventory and update your network diagrams regularly to reflect changes in your environment, such as new assets, software updates, and network reconfigurations.
Dark Web Monitoring: Continuously monitor the dark web for leaked login credentials, session tokens, or leaked company data that could be used to gain unauthorized access.

Inventory Everything: Create a list of all digital assets, including hardware, software, network devices, and data repositories. Identify potential vulnerabilities for each asset to understand where the highest risks are.
Tighten Access: Restrict access to critical systems and data to authorized users only. Enforce the use of strong, unique passwords via a password manager. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security.
Patch and Update: Keep all software and systems up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates. Schedule regular maintenance windows to ensure vulnerabilities are quickly addressed.
Monitor Proactively: Continuously monitor network traffic as well as the dark web for signs of attack. Set up alerts for network anomalies, leaked credentials, potential phishing domains registered, or new digital assets found.
Train Your Team: Educate employees on security best practices and the importance of protecting sensitive information. Conduct regular training sessions to ensure staff know how to avoid common mistakes like phishing attacks.