Cybersecurity Glossary

Attack Surface Management

Attack surface management (ASM) is the process of continuously discovering, classifying and assessing the security of your IT ecosystem.

The process can be broadly divided into (a) activities performed in managing internet-exposed assets (a process called external attack surface management, or EASM) and (b) management activities on assets accessible only from within an organization. Many organizations use an assortment of tools and manual processes to secure their attack surface, making the process fraught with operational complexity, human error and best-guess analysis.

External attack surface management can be a particularly daunting task due to the presence of “unknown unknowns,” as well as assets housed on partner or third-party sites, workloads running in the public cloud, IoT devices, old, abandoned or deprecated IP addresses and credentials, and more.

See Also
Platform > Products
Attack Surface Management

Scalable, continuous, and comprehensive testing for all external assets, all the time.

Resources > Learning Center
Understanding Attack Surface Management

The definitive guide to attack surface management. Learn everything you need to know to reduce your cyber security risk with attack surface management.

Resources Reports
Attack Surface Management: The Foundation of Risk Management

Download the IDC EASM buyers guide and understand the key capabilities to look for when selecting an External Attack Surface Management solution with expert guidance and selection criteria from analyst firm IDC. 

CyCognito Report

State of External Exposure Management, 2024 Edition

State of External Exposure Management Report

Critical vulnerabilities often hide in plain sight—especially in your web servers.

The report is a must-read for understanding today’s external risks and how to prioritize them effectively. Download the report to stay ahead of emerging threats and strengthen your security posture for 2025.

Get the Report