The 2024 Attack Surface Threat Intelligence Report, conducted by Cybersecurity Insiders, sheds light on the concerning increase in cyber breaches resulting from external threat actors. With over 80% of breaches stemming from phishing, session hijacking, and ransomware attacks, organizations are facing mounting pressure to enhance their security posture and automate cyber response mechanisms. One of the key drivers behind the rise in successful attacks is the expanded attack surface, vulnerable internet-facing assets, and susceptible users, coupled with the advancement and coordination of cyber-attack methods.
Threat Intelligence Management (TIM) and External Attack Surface Management (EASM) have emerged as crucial technologies for security teams to bolster their security posture, streamline threat response, and enhance cyber resiliency. The report provides valuable insights into the challenges, benefits, maturity levels, and best practices for leveraging TIM and EASM to mitigate attack surface risks.
Key findings from the report include:
– 90% of organizations have experienced an increase in impactful attack surface incidents, with smaller organizations facing 60% more incidents than larger enterprises.
– 84% of respondents reported that changes in the external attack surface contributed to security incidents.
– Only 33% of organizations have mature external attack surface management programs, with larger companies showing twice the maturity levels compared to smaller organizations.
– 66% of respondents expressed nominal usefulness of their current threat intelligence tools, highlighting the need for multi-source, curated, and prioritized threat intelligence.
– Over 40% of organizations face challenges related to supply chain risk, external asset inventory, and threat detection, impacting attack surface management integrity.
– 60% of organizations aim to accelerate threat identification and response times and achieve complete and accurate asset inventory.
– 90% of organizations anticipate budget increases in attack surface management and threat intelligence tools, with 40% expecting a rise of over 20%.
The report also delves into the most impactful attack vectors, with malware, ransomware, compromised credentials, phishing, and supply chain attacks being some of the significant threats organizations face. The operational and financial impact of these attack vectors underscores the importance of prioritizing security initiatives and investments.
Furthermore, the challenges in managing attack surface risks are outlined, with issues such as identifying active third-party exposures, maintaining an accurate inventory of internet-facing assets, and detecting external actor-engaged threats and breaches posing significant hurdles for security teams.
The future trends in EASM point towards the convergence of Vulnerability Assessment, Continuous Automated Attack Surface Management, and EASM solutions, along with the growing reliance on generative artificial intelligence for threat response and mitigation. These trends highlight the need for organizations to adopt proactive, automated approaches to enhance their security posture and resilience.
In conclusion, the ever-expanding attack surface and evolving threat landscape necessitate a proactive and strategic approach to cybersecurity. By investing in advanced threat intelligence tools, enhancing threat response capabilities, and prioritizing attack surface management, organizations can better defend against cyber threats and safeguard their digital assets.