Cybersecurity Glossary

Attack Surface

An attack surface is the sum of an organization’s attacker-exposed IT assets, whether these assets are secure or vulnerable, known or unknown, in active use or not and regardless of IT/security team is aware of them.

The attack surface changes continuously over time, and includes assets that are on-premises, in the cloud, and in subsidiary networks as well as those in third-party or partner environments.

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.

Use Cases
Manage Your Attack Surface

CyCognito uniquely reveals unknown and unmanaged assets associated with your organization, including assets in cloud, partner, and subsidiary environments.

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