Attack Surface Management Vs. Vulnerability Management

The article compares Attack Surface Management (ASM) with Vulnerability Management (VM) and reveals how each is important in forming a robust cybersecurity strategy to protect business assets.

Businesses require various cybersecurity strategies to protect their systems and the sensitive data stored within them from potential attacks from external sources. In this regard, there are two approaches discussed at length which are Attack Surface Management vs Vulnerability Management (VM). Even though they are two parts of an organization’s defense strategy, they operate in different aspects of security, creating a symbiotic relationship in keeping cyberattacks at bay.

ASM scans, tracks, and reduces the probability of hacker attack entry, which covers everything from websites to APIs and IoT. VM scans internally and remains vigilant for known vulnerabilities such as outdated software, misconfigured servers, etc.

Both strategies are quite vital for building proper security architecture. The Federal Trade Commission alone reported over 1.1 million identity theft complaints in 2022. This is a fact illustrating that protection is needed, both externally and internally, to prevent data breaches and fraud.

This article will delve deeply into discussing the differences between attack surface management and vulnerability management. We’ll talk about how the two approaches complement each other to form a more effective cybersecurity framework. Furthermore, we’ll discuss how Singularity™ Cloud Security from SentinelOne can help streamline and automate these approaches for more potent protection against evolving threats.

What is Attack Surface Management?

In essence, attack surface management is a continuous process of discovering and mitigating the attack vector or the entry point through which the cybercriminal is most likely to gain unauthorized access to the network of an organization. Digitally exposed components, including both known and unknown assets, websites, APIs, cloud infrastructure, IoT devices, and any system, fall into the attack surface. The basic intent of ASM is to let organizations have total visibility of both their inner and outer digital system, thereby exposing potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited by a malicious attacker.

A Palo Alto Networks report back in 2022 identifies the fact that over 65% of known incidents involving cloud security happened because of misconfigurations in their cloud environment. The figure amply justifies why such external attack surfaces need to be monitored, especially since companies are rolling out cloud-based solutions and expanding their digital operations. Modern IT is too complex for ASM not to be a complete necessity in cybersecurity. Adding every new asset, be it a website or a cloud application, increases the attack surface, meaning it needs ongoing monitoring and mitigation to lower the chance of it being breached.

ASM also encompasses the management of shadow IT, which includes unmanaged and unauthorized software and devices brought into the organization by employees. These often represent a much bigger percentage of an organization’s attack surface when undiscovered and not managed. An umbrella approach to ASM ensures that organizations stay ahead of emerging threats by proactively identifying potential attack vectors and vulnerabilities that need fixing in real time.

What is Vulnerability Management?

Vulnerability Management is the systematic process to identify and analyze known weaknesses in software, servers, databases, and other network infrastructures. VM is a part of the risk reduction process since the potential vulnerabilities identified may be any point that a hacker could exploit.

Most of this happens through vulnerability scanning tools, which scan to find the present security posture of the system and provide actionable information for remediation. To a great extent, vulnerability management involves defending against these security holes before hackers might use them in some form of cyber attack.

According to the Ponemon Institute, 60% of data breaches were caused by an unpatched vulnerability. Therefore, VM is a key tool in fighting and eliminating preventable attacks, acting on a variety of vulnerabilities which include coding defects and also outdated software patches. The core steps taken in VM include discovery, prioritization, and remediation. Scoring frameworks such as the CVSS score vulnerabilities. This frees up security teams to focus on the larger risks so that patches are applied in time before vulnerabilities can be exploited.

The critical difference between VM and ASM lies in their scope of assets. VM addresses known vulnerabilities on pre-identified assets, but ASM, being proactive and dynamic, discovers new ones every single time and is made aware of the risks they might unleash. Together they comprise the whole range of defense systems to cyber threats.

Difference Between Attack Surface Management and Vulnerability Management

Although both ASM and VM share a basic nature as cybersecurity initiatives to help a company’s cybersecurity posture, their scope, process, and focus are clearly different. Their functions are markedly distinct as part of an overall strategy to counter threats that emanate from outside as well as weaknesses that emerge from within the organization.

Both represent a multi-layered approach in defense against evolving cyber threats. Key differences are listed below:

1. Scope of Assets: ASM has a wider coverage since it caters to third-party systems and shadow IT, other IT structures that are connected to the internet besides coping with identified IT assets. This visibility assists in making sure that the exposure of unexplored surfaces is not given to potential attackers. ASM discovers new vulnerabilities that can expand the surface which is reachable to the attackers. Whereas VM is about managing identified resources in the organization structures such as servers, data centers, and applications, most of which are often centrally governed.
2. Discovery Process: ASM is always on the lookout for other potential assets and these include unrecognized or unauthorized web assets. This is particularly important in cloud systems where new programs, software, networks, and services may quickly increase the vulnerability footprint. ASM tools may work in a way whereby they are more or less automatic, with notifications that help show new digital assets instead. On the other hand, VM scans searched for previously known openings, for example, unpatched software or misconfigured operating systems. Even as a tool for maintaining internal security, VM is limited in its scope and, in particular, cannot discover other assets that might jeopardize the security of the organization.
3. Risks Focus: ASM focuses more on external threats since it assesses resources or touchpoints vulnerable to external threats. It usually covers problems like misconfigured cloud services, revealed APIs, and unpatched web applications. VM, on the other hand, deals with internal risks, such as software that is not updated, has wrong settings, or bugs in the source code present in a company’s structure. Whereas ASM is concerned with general business risks associated with outside access, VM deals with specific technical risks within the organization.
4. Monitoring Cycles: Scan frequency is what distinguishes ASM from VM. ASM needs to monitor all assets and related attack vectors in real time. As the digital landscape of an organization is never static since it introduces new services while retiring others, these changes are tracked by ASM tools so that no gap is left unscanned that an attacker can exploit. VM is essentially performed at intervals, such as a scheduled event of scanning for vulnerabilities.  Although some advanced VM tools allow for continuous monitoring, it is more common for VM assessments to be performed at regular intervals, often triggered by specific events like software updates or audits.
5. Prevention vs. Cure: ASM is proactive as it prevents attacks from occurring and always seeks to identify and neutralize whatever entry points could be exploited by attackers. Such a reduction of entry points terminates the chances for cyber attacks. On the other side, VM is considered to be much more reactive in its approach, focusing on weaknesses that do exist within the system because they could eventually become entry points. It only identifies known weaknesses to focus on, which include unpatched software or configuration errors, where the system leaves itself open until those issues are addressed.
6. Risk Scoring: While both ASM and VM assign risk scores, their approaches are different. ASM uses risk scoring on the basis of external factors, such as asset exposure, business importance, and the potential damage that a business might face if a compromised asset is found. This broader risk scoring helps the business identify which assets to focus on securing first. VM, for the most part, usually relies on standardized risk-scoring methodologies, such as the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS), which itself takes into account the severity of the vulnerabilities and their potential impacts. While VM is focused on technical risks, ASM extends to ensure an overall view that can be regarded as both technical and business risks.
7. External vs. Internal Threats: ASM looks at mostly external threats which are points that can be exploited by exposed digital assets like APIs, web applications, or cloud infrastructure. It reduces breaches by managing the organization’s digital footprint, thus eliminating potential entry points accessible outside the network. On the other hand, VM will target the internal threats and vulnerabilities that lie on the managed infrastructure that the organization owns, including unpatched systems and software bugs, as well as misconfigurations. Together, ASM and VM will guarantee that both external and internal threats are addressed.
8. Automation: Both of these differ in the application of automation. In ASM, automated tools find new assets and then further assess them to calculate the risks. With today’s volume of IT infrastructure, it’s impossible to find all external-facing assets manually, necessitating automation to maintain real-time visibility. VM detects vulnerabilities, but in general, it is far more manpower-intensive for administrators when patching, remediation, and reconfigurations are involved. In a VM, automation is greatly limited only to the discovery and prioritization of vulnerabilities, while ASM uses automation for continuous monitoring as well as risk assessment of all digital assets.
9. Contextual Threat Insight: ASM provides a more business-oriented view since it considers the general exposure of the asset and probable external risks involved. An exposed asset includes considerations of how an attacker might use such an asset and the potential harm that could be done upon breach. Such insight may help in critical high-level decisions, where security teams can account for risks as seen from the business priorities of an organization. However, VM provides much more technical information, mentioning minute vulnerabilities within the systems of an organization and how they could be exploited. Contextually, insights from VM are more about immediate technical solutions, whereas ASM produces a more strategic view of the overall risk landscape.

Attack Surface Management Vs Vulnerability Management: 9 Critical Differences

Both ASM and VM work in order to protect businesses from becoming a victim of cyber attacks, however, both have some differences that are important to create a more wholesome security strategy.

Both strategies are devised for the protection of organizations, but one covers a different scope, focus, and methodology than the other. Here’s a simplified comparison of both strategies:

Feature	Attack Surface Management (ASM)	Vulnerability Management (VM)
Asset Range	It covers known and unknown assets, both internal and external, of the organization’s network.	It only deals with known and managed assets of the firm.
Frequency Monitoring	Continuous, real-time monitoring of assets and attack vectors.	Analysis of known vulnerabilities in a scheduled manner.
Risk Score Methodology	This comprises asset exposure, business impact, and potential for attacks from external.	This tool uses technical vulnerability scoring, such as CVSS, to prioritize remediation efforts.
Type of Threat Addressed	It mainly covers external attack vectors, which include exposed APIs and cloud infrastructure.	It simply refers to internal vulnerabilities such as software bugs or misconfiguration.
Discovery Process	It identifies new digital assets, including shadow IT.	Evaluate weaknesses in previously identified known assets.
Use of Automation	It depends mainly on automation to discover and control attack vectors.	It makes use of both manual and automated scanning tools for vulnerabilities.
Risk Management Approach	Proactive, targeting the decrease in attack vectors before any exploitation occurs.	Reactive, focusing on patching and mitigating identified vulnerabilities.
Threat Context	It gives a full view of the external exposure of cyber threats and their impact on business.	Focuses on technical vulnerabilities without due consideration to external business risks.
Response Strategy	Reduces the attack vectors by mitigating risks and removing some possible entry points.	It patches or configures a targeted vulnerability.

The comparison table, as shown above, displays the differences between ASM and VM. From this, we understand how ASM addresses a wider, more panoramic view of the cybersecurity risks of an organization through consideration of threats from external perspectives, thereby reducing attack surfaces, while the VM reduces the number of threats by continuous monitoring since changes happen digitally and new threats emerge continuously. VM addresses the known vulnerabilities that are found, which include unpatched software or a configuration error. As a result, it provides a very targeted approach to treating immediate risks.

While ASM proactively identifies and reduces an attack vector before it can be exploited by an attack, VM works on fixing known vulnerabilities after they have been discovered. Therefore, both are significant in developing a robust defense posture. Organizations deploying both ASM and VM would be able to develop yet another multi-layered defense mechanism, targeting both the external sources of attacks and vulnerabilities lying within.

How does SentinelOne help?

SentinelOne’s Singularity™ Cloud Security empowers organizations to protect themselves from inside attacks and vulnerabilities based on an organization’s threat surface. Furthermore, this single, powerful platform is complemented by AI-driven advanced detection, real-time monitoring, and remediation—all designed to make organizations proactive in the prevention of threats within their digital environment. Here are six critical ways SentinelOne helps strengthen an organization’s security posture across all cloud environments:

1. Deep Asset Discovery: SentinelOne’s Singularity™ Cloud Security platform automatically discovers all digital assets; thus, organizations will have full visibility into both their external and internal attack surfaces. In that sense, the platform covers shadow IT and third-party systems, which are normally skipped but highly important to the security posture of a company. New assets are continuously identified by the platform which helps to close the gaps that may expose businesses to cyber threats.
2. Real-Time Threat Detection: The platform uses cloud detection and response, a process that continuously scans cloud environments for possible security threats. Risks in both known as well as unknown risk categories are identified in real-time by CDR. The real-time capability of the system will ensure that as soon as new vulnerabilities or attack vectors emerge, it can take prompt action to neutralize the threat and thereby minimize possible downtime or breaches.
3. AI-Powered Security: AI-powered capabilities of the Singularity™ platform offer AI Security Posture Management or AI-SPM, which is a feature by which the platform autonomously identifies and mitigates threats that may arise with the capabilities of machine learning and AI. This further enhances the reduction of the attack surface as fast as vulnerabilities are known to it, thus amplifying cloud security.
4. Vulnerability Management Integration: The platform integrates vulnerability management, aiding in quickly identifying, prioritizing, and remediating any weaknesses in business systems. This proactive inclusion makes sure that before anyone can exploit the weak points in the infrastructure of any organization, they have been systematically removed, making it difficult for cyber-thieves to breach networks and systems.
5. Continuous Risk Scoring: The platform also provides real-time external attack surface management and dynamic risk scoring. Assets are scanned based on the exposure, business criticality, and the consequences if the asset is compromised. Such effective prioritization of threats allows businesses to focus on securing their most important assets and thereby strengthen overall cybersecurity management as well.
6. Remediation by Hyperautomation: Leveraging workflows through low-code and no-code, the platform auto-remediates risks to the attack surface and vulnerabilities. Hyperautomation accelerates the response speed to contain and resolve threats quickly. The platform enables businesses to respond faster to possible threats, cutting down time to remediation and limiting exposure through automation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, ensuring that the systems are protected in such a complex digital environment is key to any modern organization. Therefore, a blended approach of ASM and VM is essential. ASM proactively reduces the attack vectors by continuously scanning to detect and mitigate threats coming from outside. VM addresses known vulnerabilities that could be exploited. Such a strategy enables organizations to build up an effective defense against evolving cyber threats.

Investment in a platform such as SentinelOne Singularity™ Vulnerability Management would amplify such efforts through real-time discovery and remediation of risks, making all critical security processes automated. This would ease the management of both external and internal risks and strengthen the ability of organizations to prioritize and respond rapidly to any attack situation. SentinelOne is a comprehensive yet effective solution to tackle the multifaceted challenges of modern cybersecurity for any organization looking to strengthen its cybersecurity posture.

FAQs

Why is Attack Surface Management important?

Attack surface management is important because it informs organizations of all the possible entry points attackers may use, including everything related to websites, APIs, and shadow IT that are connected to the internet. That visibility reduces the risk of organizations experiencing a data breach or having ransomware attacks occur within the business. ASM also conducts continuous monitoring so that new vectors of attack may be found and mitigated at once, thereby reducing overall exposure to such risks.

Why is Vulnerability Management critical for security?

Vulnerability management is important since it actually identifies and remedies weak points in known systems of the organizations, like unpatched software or configuration weaknesses that cybercriminals could exploit for unauthorized access to sensitive information or even damage business operations. As a result, this would reduce the chances of successful attacks, hence protecting the integrity of the organization’s infrastructure.

How often should Attack Surface Management and Vulnerability Management be conducted?

Attack surface management needs to be an ongoing process because external threats change rapidly and because new assets are created that can expose an organization. A system of real-time monitoring helps make early defense feasible. Vulnerability Management is often performed as a cyclic action but should be automated wherever possible to get a complete view in real time. In short, periodic scans and remediation of vulnerabilities regularly ensure that critical issues have minimal windows of exposure to cyberattacks.