Continuous Threat Exposure Management

CTEM is a robust, continuous system. It leverages cutting-edge technologies to monitor, identify, manage, and reduce an organization’s vulnerability to cyber threats. In essence it is a part of automated vulnerability management.

Continuous Threat Exposure Management is a system of constant vigilance, prioritizing and managing exposure to threats. It leverages advanced analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to equip organizations to predict, identify, and prioritize potential threats. The framework helps businesses take proactive steps to minimize cyber risk. Through real-time data processing and advanced analytics, this “system on the lookout” empowers companies to address cyber threats proactively. It is essential to remember that at no point is CTEM about constant fear. It is about situational awareness and preparation. The golden rule here is simple. It’s not the absence of threats but how swiftly and efficiently we manage them that decides the level of safety.

Our platform allows you to consolidate, normalise and manage your assessments for your clients in line with Gartner’s Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) process:

1. Scope – the organization’s attack surface, which includes both traditional and non-traditional assets and entry points. Add Assets, Asset Prioritization, Asset Grouping, and Attack Surface Management.
2. Discovery – of visible and hidden assets, vulnerabilities, misconfiguration and other risks, using various tools and methods. Build and deliver cybersecurity assessments, aws penetration tests, managed scanning services, managed endpoint monitoring and consolidate all results into a single format and interface within the Platform.
3. Prioritization – of the risks based on their business impact and likelihood of exploitation, considering attack pathways and response plans. Prioritize Vulnerabilities – Velma AI, Underlying Asset Priority, Vulnerability location, Business Context, Vulnerability Risk Rating
4. Validation – of exploitability of the vulnerabilities, analysis of the potential attack pathways, and assess the adequacy of your current response plan. Daily Exploit Monitoring, Attack Pathway (due 2024). Compare current process remediation timeline expectations vs risk appetite and re-prioritise based on low-noise Threat Intel data.
5. Mobilization – of the CTEM findings by reducing any obstacles to approvals, implementation processes or mitigation deployments. Assign Remediation tasks, Ticket System

Continuous Threat Exposure Management is a vital cog in reducing cybersecurity threats. It endows organizations with the ability to be one step ahead in identifying and mitigating risks. Continuous monitoring and the management of exposure to threats diminish the potential for breaches. At the same time, critical vulnerabilities are promptly attended to.

CTEM empowers organizations with risk mitigation efforts, allowing them to:

• Identify vulnerabilities by continually inspecting digital assets
• Prioritize critical vulnerabilities based on exploitability and severity
• Bolster cyber resilience by aiding in the rapid application of remediation measures
• Assess the organization’s ecosystem, evaluate risks mounting from exposure, and action -appropriate prevention techniques
• Complement the security operations center (SOCecOps) efforts with granular visibility over enterprise attack surfaces.

The implementation of a continuous threat exposure management program involves a five-stage process. The stages are scoping, discovery, prioritization, and validation, followed by mobilization.

1. Scoping: Begin with defining the scope and objectives of your CTEM program. Include the business stakeholders and policies for comprehensive coverage.
2. Discovery: Leverage advanced analytics and machine learning to monitor your digital footprint constantly and identify vulnerabilities. The discovery process will uncover weak configurations and vulnerable entry points.
3. Prioritization: Evaluate the severity of vulnerabilities, their potential impact, and determine the order for implementing remediation measures. Essential considerations for this stage include regulatory frameworks, unique threat landscape, and high-value assets.
4. Validation: Ensure that the remediation measures chosen are effective in the validation stage. Automated Red Teaming, Network Detection and Response (NDR), and Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS), significantly enhance security validation.
5. Mobilization: The final stage, mobilization, involves the execution of the response plan. Automation proves invaluable here, expediting actions against prioritized vulnerabilities while minimizing impact to the organization’s functions.

CTEM is a paradigm shift from the traditional reactive security posture to a proactive and predictive approach. By assuming a stance of continuous vigilance, organizations can better predict, prioritize, and alleviate potential cybersecurity risks. That helps strengthen their overall cyber resilience. 

This change aims to reduce or get rid of the “sitting duck” situation, giving organizations a better chance to defend against their specific threats.

By incorporating Continuous Threat Exposure Management strategies, security teams can simplify their cybersecurity operations. They can streamline their response plan, measure their security maturity, and increase their resilience. Most importantly, they can align their cyber risk mitigation efforts with broader business goals. 

The primary objective of a continuous threat exposure management program is to extend the security operations center (SOC)’s visibility over their entire enterprise attack surfaces and take steps to proactively locate and remediate vulnerabilities.

To implement an effective Continuous Threat Exposure Management program, consider these strategies:

1. Collaborate with cross-functional teams for a unified vision, reducing silos.
2. Measure security maturity regularly to highlight areas for improvement.
3. Integrate with platforms like external attack surface management (EASM) toolset and Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) for broader and deeper threat scanning.
4. Invest in data analytics and artificial intelligence to identify, assess and prioritize security measures.
5. Emphasize risk prioritization and efficient mobilization efforts to reduce the likelihood of breaches.

An effective CTEM program should additionally look towards integration with security tools and platforms. This will help maximize its value and reduce the manual load on the security team. The concepts of continuous exposure management should also be ingrained into the security consciousness of the organization. The strategy should bridge gaps between security functions and business goals.

Real-time Threat Monitoring: Implement systems for constant network monitoring to detect threats in real-time.

Endpoint Security: Use advanced AI-driven solutions to identify and respond to threats at endpoints.

Threat Intelligence Integration: Integrate threat feeds for up-to-date threat awareness.

Cloud Security: Continuously assess and secure cloud assets.

Incident Response Automation: Swiftly address threats through automated processes.

To effectively implement CTEM, organizations can leverage a range of cybersecurity tools and technologies. Here are some tools commonly used in the CTEM process:

Vulnerability Scanners: Automated tools for identifying vulnerabilities in systems, applications, and networks.

Threat Intelligence Platforms: Platforms that aggregate and analyze threat data to provide actionable insights.

AI-driven Threat Detection: Solutions that use artificial intelligence to detect and respond to cyber threats.

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) Tools: Tools that help organizations maintain a secure cloud infrastructure.

As we navigate through the age of digital transformation, organizations need to tackle the growing challenge of maintaining a robust security posture. Rootshell’s CTEM comes to the fore in such circumstances. Its core focus is on perpetual vigilance against cyber threats. As such, it offers inherent benefits such as vulnerability identification, risk reduction, and overall increased cyber resilience.

CTEM is an intricate balance of identification, prioritization, remediation, and control. But the rewards, in terms of minimized business risks and fortified security posture, are undoubtedly significant and invaluable.

Implementing our platform, Continuous Threat Exposure Management services and leveraging key strategies and tools offers a pathway to enhanced cybersecurity posture. It enables organizations to shield their critical assets effectively. As cybersecurity evolves and surprises us at every turn, becoming a moving target for threat actors might just be our best defense.

Remember, the path to cybersecurity is not a destination but a journey of continual improvement. The earlier we embark on it, the better equipped we are to navigate the unpredictable tides of the cyber realm. 

Let Rootshell guide you towards cyber-safety.