From Threat Exposure to Enhanced Security: How Red Teams Use Continuous Monitoring

In the world of cybersecurity, companies are always looking for ways to protect themselves better. They are turning to Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) programs. These programs help red teams use ongoing monitoring to turn threats into stronger security.

CTEM is a detailed program that keeps an eye on attack surfaces all the time. It helps companies stop threats before they happen and makes their security stronger. It also makes sure only the right people and devices can get into the network, which is key to keeping digital spaces safe.

Gartner® research shows CTEM is becoming more popular. This is because companies can't see all the potential problems, they have technology in silos, and they rely too much on outside help. The changing threat scene is making security teams work harder to handle more risks. They often feel overwhelmed by the number of threats they face.

Key Takeaways

• Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) programs are gaining traction due to visibility gaps, siloed technology, and third-party dependencies.
• CTEM automates continuous monitoring of attack surfaces to proactively prevent threats and enhance security posture.
• The CTEM process involves five sequential stages: Scoping, Discovery, Prioritization, Validation, and Mobilization.
• CTEM offers benefits such as reduced breach impact, stronger security posture, and cost reduction through risk mitigation.
• Implementing CTEM requires integrating existing security capabilities, addressing external threats, and aligning stakeholders on outcomes.

What is Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM)?

Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) is a new way to keep an eye on an organization's digital defenses. With fast setup and new tech like cloud computing, companies face more online threats. CTEM uses smart tools to spot and fix weak spots before hackers can find them.

Addressing Visibility Challenges

As networks get more complex, security teams find it hard to see all the potential dangers. CTEM helps by giving a clear view of the attack surface and fixing risks early.

The Role of Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Identity and Access Management (IAM) is key in CTEM. It makes sure only the right people and devices can get into the network. This stops bad actors from getting in and causing trouble.

Gartner® says companies that focus on security through CTEM will face fewer breaches by 2026.

"CTEM employs advanced analytics, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence to assist end-users in determining the degree to which their digital assets are accessible, exposed, and exploitable by cyber attackers."

The Five Stages of CTEM

Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) is a detailed cybersecurity program. It uses a five-stage approach to find and fix vulnerabilities in an organization's attack surface. These stages are: Scoping, Discovery, Prioritization, Validation, and Mobilization.

Scoping

The Scoping stage looks at an organization's risk level based on KPIs and business goals. It helps create a clear plan of action. This step makes sure the CTEM program fits with the organization's security and goals.

Discovery

The Discovery stage uses advanced tools to find vulnerabilities and gaps in the attack surface. It gives a full view of the organization's security, not just counting assets and vulnerabilities.

Prioritization

In the Prioritization stage, issues are ranked by threat severity and security control availability. This means the organization focuses on the most risky vulnerabilities first.

Validation

The Validation stage simulates attackers' techniques, often with red team exercises. It accurately checks the chance of successful attacks and their impact.

Mobilization

The Mobilization stage puts the findings into action and overcomes security improvement obstacles. It helps the organization fix vulnerabilities and improve its cybersecurity.

By using these five stages, organizations can manage threats continuously. This makes them more resilient against cyber threats.

Benefits of CTEM

Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) helps organizations a lot. It makes their cybersecurity better and reduces risks. With CTEM, businesses can lower the damage from attacks, improve their security, and save money on cybersecurity.

CTEM focuses on managing risks before they happen. It helps companies stay one step ahead of cyber threats. This way, they can use their resources wisely, tackling the biggest threats first.

One big plus of CTEM is it reduces the harm from security breaches. It uses identity and access management and network access control to block threats. This makes it harder for attackers to get into the network and cause damage.

CTEM also makes a company's security stronger by being more proactive. It helps manage cloud security better, making the network less vulnerable to attacks. This makes the company more resilient against cyber threats.

CTEM can also save a lot of money in the long run. It helps avoid big costs like ransomware payouts and fixing data breaches. This way, companies can manage their cybersecurity risks more effectively.

In summary, CTEM gives organizations a solid way to fight cyber threats. It makes their cybersecurity stronger, more resilient, and more cost-effective.

"Gartner introduced the Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) process as organizations' need to shift from addressing to proactively managing threat exposure."

Gartner says companies that focus on CTEM will be less likely to get hacked by 2026. This shows how important CTEM is for keeping a company safe from cyber attacks.

CTEM Program Implementation Best Practices

Creating a strong Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) program is key for better cybersecurity. It has five stages: scoping, discovery, prioritization, validation, and mobilization. To succeed, follow these best practices.

First, tackle external threats by adding external attack surface management (EASM) to your CTEM program. This strengthens defenses against post-perimeter attacks, like exposed credentials and cloud misconfigurations.

Next, good communication and early agreement on CTEM goals are vital. This helps security teams focus and automate tasks, making the process smoother and faster.

Also, using digital risk protection (DRP) gives a clear view of vulnerabilities and exposures. This helps teams fix issues more effectively.

Remember, the challenge is big. Large companies face over 250,000 open vulnerabilities, fixing only about 10%. Automation is key for managing this scale in CTEM.

By following these practices, organizations can manage risks better, meet compliance, and make smart cybersecurity decisions. A well-run CTEM program can greatly lower cyber threat exposure.

"Organizations prioritizing security investments based on a continuous threat exposure management program could expect a two-thirds reduction in breaches by 2026 according to Gartner."

By using these CTEM best practices, organizations can tackle external threats, improve security operations, and make informed decisions.

Ensuring External Threats are Addressed

Gaps in an organization's external attack surface can quickly become threats. Attackers can use these gaps to breach the network and cause damage. To strengthen defenses, it's important to integrate external attack surface management (EASM) into a Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) program.

This approach helps security teams tackle issues like exposed credentials and cloud misconfigurations. It also addresses external commercial operations, boosting the organization's cybersecurity.

EASM aims at identifying, monitoring, and managing digital assets exposed to the internet, giving a full view of the external attack surface. Continuous Automated Red Teaming (CART) can also be used. It automates attack simulations to find vulnerabilities.

By combining EASM and CART, organizations can understand their security posture better. They can address threats before they are exploited.

Leroy Merlin, a home improvement retailer, used EASM and CART to find unknown assets and protect PII. EASM is good for early-stage organizations, while CART is best for those with established security looking for continuous validation.

However, EASM and CART are not enough on their own. They should be part of a broader, multi-layered cybersecurity approach. As cyber threats are constant, proactive steps to secure networks and systems are crucial.

Integrating External Attack Surface Management (EASM) into CTEM

Rapid7's Vector Command offers increased visibility of the external attack surface. It provides persistent, proactive reconnaissance of internet-facing assets. The service reports successful exploits the same day, with expert-vetted attack paths for multi-vector attack chains.

Vector Command uses Rapid7's Command Platform for external attack surface assessment. It continuously understands exposed web services and remote admin services. Monthly expert consultations are included to drive remediation efforts and resiliency planning.

By integrating EASM capabilities like Vector Command into a CTEM program, organizations can shift from reactive to proactive cybersecurity. They can address external threats and strengthen their defense.

"EASM and CART are not standalone solutions and should be integrated into a broader, multi-layered cybersecurity approach."

Communicating and Aligning on Outcomes

Creating a successful Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) program needs everyone to agree on its goals and results. This makes it easier for security teams to focus on the most important issues. By working together and sharing CTEM's goals, organizations can tackle their biggest security worries.

Setting CTEM's goals from the start is key for everyone to be on the same page. It's important to talk with IT, security, and business leaders to make sure everyone knows what the program aims to do. Also, having clear goals and ways to measure success helps see how well the program is doing.

One big advantage of aligning CTEM goals is automating how security issues are handled. This means focusing on the most urgent threats first, helping teams work more efficiently. With ongoing monitoring and quick threat detection, companies can stay ahead of security risks.

It's crucial for security teams and the whole organization to work together for CTEM to succeed. By agreeing on goals and keeping lines of communication open, teams can tackle threats together. This improves the security of the whole company.

From Threat Exposure to Enhanced Security: How Red Teams Use Continuous Monitoring

In today's fast-changing cybersecurity world, companies are turning to red teams for help. Red teams, made up of ethical hackers, find weaknesses and boost a company's security. They use continuous monitoring to turn threats into stronger defenses, helping companies protect their valuable assets.

At the core of this strategy is a Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) program. CTEM keeps an eye on a company's attack surface, finding and fixing threats before they happen. This method gives a full picture of a company's security risks and helps improve cybersecurity strategies over time.

1. Red teams use CTEM to scan and check the company's attack surface, finding vulnerabilities and weak spots.
2. Through regular scans and tests, red teams find hidden threats and help the company fix them.
3. With advanced anti-malware tools and threat and vulnerability management checks, red teams keep systems and networks safe from new threats.
4. Regular audits and checks, like those for ISO 27001, ISO 27017, and SOC 2, make the company's security even stronger.

The addition of external attack surface management (EASM) to CTEM keeps companies safe from threats outside their usual defenses. By watching and fixing these external threats, red teams help companies become more secure and protect their important assets.

The work of red teams and a strong CTEM program turns threat exposure into enhanced security. This forward-thinking approach helps companies stay one step ahead of cyber threats. It makes them more resilient and ready to protect their operations, data, and reputation.

Gaining a Clear and Current View of Risk

Adding digital risk protection (DRP) to a Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) program gives a full view of risks. DRP lets teams see the chances of vulnerabilities and exposures in their systems. This helps them focus on fixing the most critical security issues first.

This way, companies stay safe and can change their defense plans as threats change.

Using Attack Surface Management platforms helps see security better, making it easier to find and fix vulnerabilities. Keeping an eye on the attack surface is key for managing threats. It lets companies spot and handle threats early, lowering the chance of attacks.

Fostering a Culture of Cybersecurity Awareness

Good Threat Exposure Management needs a culture that values cybersecurity. This means regular training for employees and open talks between teams. It makes sure everyone knows about threats and helps keep security strong.

Talking about risks with stakeholders is also key. It makes sure they know how safe the company is and what's being done to keep it safe.

"Red Teaming is a simulation-based activity that tests an organization's security against threats and vulnerabilities to improve defensive strategies."

By using digital risk protection in their CTEM program, companies can understand their risks better. This lets them focus on fixing the most important issues and improve their cybersecurity. This approach, along with a strong cybersecurity culture and clear risk talks, helps companies stay safe and keep working as usual.

Aligning Security with Business Goals

It's key for companies to match their security plans with their business aims. This helps them handle cyber threats better and improve their work. The Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) method checks the risks of each important asset and sorts them.

Using advanced tools like threat intelligence platforms helps companies see their security clearly. They can then focus on the biggest risks. This way, they keep their security up to date with their business plans.

The CTEM program has five steps: Scoping, Discovery, Prioritization, Validation, and Mobilization. It works best with quick action and tools that speed things up. It also keeps improving by learning from new threats and experiences.

Matching security with business goals helps avoid cyber threats. These threats can harm data, money, and a company's reputation. With CTEM, companies can strengthen their security and keep it in line with their goals.

To do well with CTEM, companies need to link their security with their business goals. They should also use tools for managing attacks and see their risks clearly. By focusing on the most important risks and always checking their security, companies can make sure their safety plan matches their business goals.

"Continuous improvement is a core principle of CTEM, requiring continuous evaluation, adaptation, and improvement based on lessons learned and evolving threats."

Conclusion

Red teams can significantly enhance an organization’s cybersecurity by leveraging Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM). This proactive approach continuously identifies vulnerabilities, strengthens defenses, and integrates identity management to block potential attacks.

With CTEM, businesses not only reduce the impact of cyber threats but also save costs while enhancing overall security. Combining CTEM with external attack surface management and digital risk protection offers a holistic view of external risks, helping organizations stay ahead of evolving cyber challenges.

As the threat landscape evolves with dangers like ransomware 3.0 and AI-driven attacks, linking security strategies to business objectives becomes crucial. CTEM, coupled with cyber ranges, empowers red teams to assess defenses, train effectively, and maintain continuous cybersecurity improvement.

Stay ahead of cyber threats with a proactive defense strategy. Discover how our Products and Services can transform your cybersecurity at Peris.ai.

FAQ

What is Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM)?

CTEM is a program that keeps an eye on threats all the time. It uses identity and access management to check who and what can get into the network.

Why is CTEM gaining popularity according to Gartner® research?

Gartner® says CTEM is getting more popular because people can't see all the threats. Also, technology is bought in pieces, and we rely too much on others.

What are the five stages of CTEM?

CTEM has five steps: Scoping, Discovery, Prioritization, Validation, and Mobilization.

What are the benefits of implementing a CTEM program?

CTEM helps by making security stronger and reducing costs. It also limits the damage from attacks.

What are the best practices for implementing a CTEM program?

To do CTEM well, use EASM, talk about what you want to achieve, and add DRP. These steps help a lot.

How can EASM capabilities help fortify defenses in a CTEM program?

EASM makes CTEM better by protecting against new threats. It deals with exposed info, cloud mistakes, and more.

Why is it important to communicate and align on the outcomes and objectives of a CTEM program?

Talking about what you want to get from CTEM helps. It makes it easier to focus on what's important.

How can DRP capabilities benefit a CTEM program?

DRP gives a clear view of threats. This helps teams fix problems faster.

Why is it important to align security with business goals when implementing a CTEM program?

Aligning security with business goals is key. It helps manage threats and improve operations. CTEM's risk-based approach keeps security up to date with business plans.