The attack surface covers all potential entry points, or attack vectors, that an unauthorized user could exploit to access a system and steal data. These points can be physical, digital, or even human-related.
An attack surface could include the applications your business uses, the network devices such as routers and servers, the endpoints like laptops or mobile phones, and even the people who interact with your system.
In this article, we’ll explore the components of an attack surface and outline how businesses can manage and control it effectively.
Managing Your Attack Surface
To protect yourself against threats, you should monitor your attack surface and potential risks. The larger your attack surface, the more potential vulnerabilities exist for cybercriminals to exploit. A smaller attack surface reduces the likelihood of successful cyberattacks, meaning you should minimize these entry points to lower the overall risk.
As businesses adopt new software, platforms, and cloud-based solutions, their attack surfaces naturally expand. This expansion comes with increased susceptibility to sophisticated cyber threats. Ivan John E. Uy, Secretary of Information and Communications Technology of the Philippines, captures this perfectly:
“The rapid advancements and increasing adoption of digital platforms globally are matched by an equally evolving cyberthreat landscape. Cybercrime today is increasing not just in scale but also in sophistication. As our digital footprints widen, so does the potential attack surface for nefarious actors. We must work together to address this growing menace. The borderless nature of the internet necessitates collaboration across various jurisdictional limitations to ensure that threat actors have no haven for their evil activities.”
It can become quite difficult to keep up with the latest threats and vulnerabilities. That’s why understanding the concept of the attack surface—and how it differs from specific attack vectors—is important.
Digital Attack vs Physical Attack
Aspect | Digital Attack | Physical Attack |
Common Examples | Phishing, malware, DDoS, SQL injection, ransomware. | Physical door attacks, unauthorized access to server rooms, data centers, or restricted areas. |
Primary Focus | Exploiting vulnerabilities in systems, networks, or applications. | Gaining physical access to secure areas to exploit or damage assets. |
Method of Attack | Executed remotely through the internet or internal networks. | Requires on-site presence to bypass physical security measures. |
Tools Used | Hacking tools, malware, phishing emails, scripts, viruses. | Lockpicks, access cards, and social engineering |
Risk Level | Can compromise entire systems, steal data, and disrupt services. | Can lead to data theft, physical damage to equipment, or unauthorized access to sensitive information. |
Mitigation Techniques | Firewalls, anti-virus software, encryption, employee training, and multi-factor authentication. | Physical access control, security guards, surveillance, ID checks, biometrics. |
When you think of cybersecurity attacks, you probably think of a digital or tech-related attack. However, it’s important to note that cyber attacks can have a physical component. Physical attacks involve direct access to an organization’s environment. A hacker might gain physical access to a secured area such as a server room or data center through a physical door attack. While physical attacks may seem less common, they still pose a risk.
One way to combat physical cyber attacks is to conduct physical penetration testing, which simulates real-world attacks to test your company’s physical barriers and protocols. Along with physical penetration testing, external penetration testing is another tool used to assess the vulnerability of your external-facing systems and applications. Discover more about how external penetration testing can help protect your organization by visiting RootShell Security’s External Penetration Testing page.
Digital attacks, on the other hand, are usually carried out over the internet, targeting software, hardware, and data. These may include attacks like phishing, malware, DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) and SQL injection, to name a few.
The most common type of attack, according to the Government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024, is phishing, which affects a staggering 84% of businesses and 83% of charities. This widespread threat is followed, to a much lesser extent, by attacks where criminals impersonate organizations in emails or online, affecting 35% of businesses and 37% of charities. Malware and viruses also impacted 17% of businesses and 14% of charities.
Physical and digital attacks should both be taken seriously. An attacker could first gain physical access to a building and later escalate the attack to compromise internal systems, combining both digital and physical attack surfaces in one exploit.
Difference Between Attack Vectors and Attack Surfaces
The terms “attack vector” and “attack surface” may seem very similar upon first look, however they refer to different elements of cybersecurity.
An attack surface is all the possible access points that a hacker can exploit, as described earlier. It covers the whole environment where vulnerabilities may exist.
An attack vector is the method or path an attacker uses to exploit a vulnerability within the attack surface. In simpler terms, while the attack surface is the entire area vulnerable to attack, an attack vector is the method the hacker chooses to break into that surface.
For example, your attack surface might include web applications, mobile apps, email systems, and physical access points. An attack vector could be a phishing email that tricks an employee into downloading malware, or it could be a vulnerability in an unsecured web application that allows an attacker to execute malicious code.
The attack surface is the “field” of potential vulnerabilities, while an attack vector is the “path” taken by attackers to exploit those vulnerabilities.
Common Attack Surface Vulnerabilities
Some common attack surface vulnerabilities include:
- Unsecured Software: Software vulnerabilities that are left unresolved leave systems open to attack. Cybercriminals often exploit known vulnerabilities in outdated software to gain unauthorized access. Discover how vulnerability scanning services can help identify and address these risks with Rootshell Security
- Misconfigured Systems: Poorly configured network devices, servers, or applications can provide hackers with easy entry points. For instance, leaving default passwords on devices or misconfiguring firewalls may expose your systems to attack. Incorrectly configured firewalls and network devices are some of the most common vulnerabilities. Rootshell Security offers Firewall Penetration Testing to help assess and improve your firewall configurations, ensuring your network is secure against unauthorized access
- Exposed APIs: APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are commonly used to allow different systems to interact with one another. If an API is exposed or poorly secured, attackers can use it as an entry point to breach systems. Rootshell’s Web Application Penetration Testing services assess your web applications for vulnerabilities, including those in exposed APIs.
- Weak Passwords: Weak or easily guessable passwords are the most common vulnerabilities in attack surfaces. Attackers often rely on brute force or password guessing tactics to gain access.
- Third-party Integrations: Many businesses rely on third-party vendors or service providers for software, infrastructure, or hardware. Any vulnerabilities in these third-party services can create additional entry points for attackers. Rootshell Security’s platform consolidates security data from multiple vendors, offering a unified view of your attack surface and helping to address vulnerabilities from third-party services.
- Employee Behavior: Human errors, such as falling for phishing schemes or using weak passwords, remain a significant part of an organization’s attack surface. Social engineering attacks rely heavily on manipulating individuals rather than exploiting technical flaws.
These vulnerabilities exist in both the physical and digital attack surfaces, so it’s important to address both aspects as part of a holistic cybersecurity approach.
How To Identify Your Attack Surface Area
To identify your attack surface area, you need to identify all potential points of vulnerability across your entire digital and physical infrastructure. This requires an in-depth assessment of all systems, devices, applications, networks, and even employees that could be targeted by attackers.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you identify your attack surface:
- Identify All Assets: Make an inventory of all hardware, software, devices, and applications used within your organization. This includes servers, workstations, mobile devices, network devices, third-party services, and cloud infrastructure.
- Map Out External Connections: Attack surface analysis involves mapping all entry points into your systems and assessing their potential risks, including cloud services and external communications. To learn more about how attack surface analysis can benefit your business, check out our guide here
- Assess Access Points: Look at where and how users and administrators access your systems. Consider remote access solutions, VPNs, cloud environments, and physical access points such as secure rooms or devices.
- Evaluate the Security Posture: Assess the security of each asset, paying close attention to known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. Ensure all systems are properly patched, and unnecessary services are disabled.
- Monitor for Changes: To regularly monitor your systems for changes and vulnerabilities, consider using managed vulnerability scanning services. These services offer continuous scanning to detect new risks and vulnerabilities, making sure your systems are protected as your organization grows and adopts new technologies.. For more information, look at Rootshell Security’s Managed Vulnerability Scanning.
What Is Attack Surface Management and Why Is It Important?
Attack Surface Management (ASM) is the process of continuously identifying, monitoring, and managing the attack surface of an organization. The goal of ASM is to reduce the exposure of your assets to potential attacks by identifying risks before they can be exploited.
Why is ASM important?
- Increased Risk: As organizations adopt new technologies and expand their digital footprint, their attack surface grows. ASM helps identify and mitigate risks before attackers can exploit them.
- Proactive Defense: By monitoring for vulnerabilities and weaknesses, ASM allows organizations to take proactive measures to close security gaps, making it harder for attackers to infiltrate their systems.
- Reduced Exposure: Proper attack surface management ensures that unnecessary services, ports, or endpoints are disabled, limiting potential points of entry for cybercriminals.
- Compliance: Many industries are required to comply with regulations that demand a certain level of cybersecurity. ASM can help ensure that your organization meets these standards.
External Attack Surface Management (EASM)
An extension of ASM, External Attack Surface Management (EASM) focuses specifically on identifying and managing vulnerabilities in external-facing assets. This approach helps protect public-facing systems—such as websites, APIs, and external networks—from cyber threats. EASM involves continuous monitoring and risk mitigation to reduce the exposure of these assets to attacks.
Strategies for Managing Your Attack Surface
Attack surface management involves a combination of manual and automated processes. It’s not enough to just identify vulnerabilities—you need to have a plan in place to manage risks.
Strategies for managing your attack surface include:
- Regular Audits: Conduct regular security audits to assess the state of your attack surface. This helps make sure that no new vulnerabilities have been introduced.
- Continuous Monitoring: Apply monitoring systems that can detect unusual behavior or vulnerabilities. Automated tools can alert security teams to potential risks as they arise.
- Risk Prioritization: Not all vulnerabilities are equal. By assessing the likelihood and potential impact of various risks, you can prioritize fixing the most important issues.
- Employee Training: Educate employees on security best practices and the importance of reducing human-related vulnerabilities. Regular training can help mitigate risks such as phishing and weak passwords.
- Patch Management: Make sure that all systems are up to date with the latest security patches and updates to minimize the risk of exploitation through known vulnerabilities.
- Third-party Security: Make sure that third-party vendors and service providers follow strict security practices, as their vulnerabilities could compromise your systems.
Protect Your Business with Rootshell Security
As your company expands and changes, putting Attack Surface Management (ASM) techniques into practice—such as frequent audits, ongoing monitoring, and proactive risk mitigation—will help protect your assets. Setting security as a top priority for every part of your infrastructure is not only a good idea, but also essential in the quickly evolving digital world of today.
Rootshell security offers a proactive approach to protecting your business’s attack surface and reducing vulnerabilities with our Attack Surface Management service. We identify and monitor risks before they can be exploited by hackers. Ready to reduce your attack surface? Book a free demo with Rootshell Security and see how we help protect your digital assets.
