Threat Exposure Management (TEM)
In cybersecurity, Threat Exposure Management (TEM) is the proactive process of locating, evaluating, and addressing vulnerabilities and weak points in an organization's information systems and IT infrastructure. Threat Exposure Management seeks to lower the attack surface of the company and the probability that cyberattacks will be successful.
Key components and activities associated with Threat Exposure Management include:
Vulnerability Assessment:
Regularly scanning networks, systems, and applications to identify potential vulnerabilities.
Use automated tools and manual processes to discover weaknesses that attackers could exploit.
Asset Inventory:
Maintain a comprehensive inventory of all hardware devices, software applications, and services within the organization's IT environment.
Keep the asset inventory up-to-date to reflect changes in the infrastructure.
Risk Prioritization:
Assign risk scores to identified vulnerabilities based on severity, exploitability, and potential organizational impact.
Set remediation priorities such that the most critical vulnerabilities are addressed first.
Continuous Monitoring:
Implementing continuous monitoring mechanisms to detect changes in the IT environment and identify new vulnerabilities as they emerge.
Staying informed about the evolving threat landscape through integration with threat intelligence feeds.
Remediation and Mitigation:
Developing and implementing strategies for remediation and mitigation of identified vulnerabilities.
Integrating with patch management systems to apply security updates promptly.
Compliance Management:
Ensuring the organization's cybersecurity practices align with regulatory requirements and industry standards.
Providing tools and processes to demonstrate compliance to auditors and regulatory bodies.
Security Awareness:
Educating and raising awareness among employees and users about cybersecurity best practices to reduce the likelihood of human error leading to security vulnerabilities.
Reporting and Analytics:
Generating reports and analytics to provide insights into the organization's overall security posture.
Facilitating communication and decision-making for security stakeholders and management.
TEM is an integral part of an organization's overall cybersecurity strategy, helping to maintain a proactive defense against cyber threats. By identifying and addressing vulnerabilities systematically and continuously, organizations can enhance their resilience to cyberattacks and minimize the potential impact of security incidents. TEM is often implemented as part of a broader Vulnerability Management program within an organization's cybersecurity framework.
ThreatNG, as an all-in-one solution for External Attack Surface Management (EASM), Digital Risk Protection (DRP), and Security Ratings, plays a pivotal role in enhancing Threat Exposure Management by concentrating on an organization's external digital presence. ThreatNG identifies vulnerabilities, potential risks, and security weaknesses in web applications, network infrastructure, and digital assets by continuously monitoring and assessing the external attack surface. This comprehensive approach enables a seamless handoff to complementary solutions. For instance, ThreatNG can seamlessly integrate with existing Vulnerability Management systems, automatically prioritizing and categorizing identified risks based on severity and potential impact. ThreatNG's Security Ratings feature also quantitatively measures an organization's security posture, facilitating a smooth transition to Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems for centralized monitoring and incident response. This integration ensures a holistic Threat Exposure Management strategy, where ThreatNG serves as a foundational layer, streamlining processes and enhancing the overall effectiveness of an organization's cybersecurity ecosystem.
