Cyber Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) lies at the core of this readiness. …requires a multidimensional approach that stretches beyond the latest tools and technology. CTEM is more than a stand-alone solution. It uses a variety of open processes and methodologies, including the discovery of internal/external attack surfaces, asset discovery, and creation of comprehensive risk profiles.
There is an urgency for organizations to embrace CTEM due to the complexity of cybersecurity threats evolving at a relentless pace. As businesses rapidly expand their digital footprints, understanding and protecting against these vulnerabilities has become urgent and necessary. Going beyond CTEM, priorities should be given to threats based on their urgency, implications for national security, and risk to the homeland. This forward-thinking approach is key in both protecting valuable organizational resources and ensuring continued organizational resilience in the face of a potential breach.
The Multifaceted Nature of CTEM
By bringing together content, tools, experts and a community of practice, CTEM delivers a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity. CTEM isn’t just another tech-based silver bullet. Rather, it is an overall framework that’s made up of a diverse set of strategies and tools.
One of the basic building blocks of CTEM is finding your attack surfaces. This means conducting a thorough audit of our internal systems and external networks to identify any weak spots that are at risk of being targeted by cybercriminals. By pinpointing these surfaces, organizations can gain a more distinct picture of their risk exposure.
Prioritizing Threats and Risk Management
As anyone who works or has worked in the field of cybersecurity knows, not all threats are made the same. CTEM recognizes the need to prioritize and rank those threats according to a variety of factors, including urgency, security implications, risk level, and so on. This ongoing prioritization process has allowed these organizations to stretch their limited dollars much further.
They are not all created equal Threats are threat vectors that can range widely in their ability to impact an organization. By assessing the urgency of each threat, cybersecurity teams are able to quickly focus their efforts on threats with the most immediate risk. Likewise, thinking about security in terms of impact lets organizations prioritize their weaknesses that would lead to the most extreme outcome if they were taken advantage of.
Understanding the degree of risk for each danger allows companies to take control. This expertise enables them to make strategic, data-driven decisions regarding their remediation priorities and practices. That diverse risk management philosophy is absolutely key in today’s ever-evolving threat environment where the next vulnerability always lurks around the corner.
Testing and Validating Vulnerabilities
Perhaps the most vital part of CTEM is its emphasis on testing and validating those vulnerabilities with real-world attack simulations. These types of realistic simulations can go a long way in showing an organization where its defenses are most vulnerable against very real cyber attacks. By conducting such tests, cybersecurity teams can identify weaknesses in their defenses and take corrective actions before a breach occurs.
This forward-looking testing methodology is beneficial even beyond finding original vulnerabilities. Instead of just focusing on theoretical evaluations, companies can come to understand the practical reality of their security posture through real-world situations.
In order to proactively fix the vulnerabilities found through testing, CTEM needs resources mobilized for vulnerability remediation and threat remediation. Then you can deploy these additional security measures to better protect the system. Look at adopting the latest software technology and training employees effectively to increase awareness of cybersecurity best practices.
Continuous Visibility and Context
One of the biggest benefits of adopting CTEM is the ongoing visibility it provides. When combined with VM and ASM, this visibility can be truly transformative. This combination provides organizations with rich context so they can develop a continuous, real-time awareness of their security landscape.
CTEM solely relies on the quality of information collected through VM and ASM. This serves as important context to help understand these vulnerabilities within the larger threat landscape. Organizations can make more informed decisions about where to allocate resources and how to strengthen their defenses based on real-time data.