External attack surface management (EASM)

External attack surface management (EASM) is a proactive security approach focused on discovering, analyzing, and securing an organization's external-facing assets and potential entry points for attacks. For cloud security engineers, EASM is crucial in managing the expanded and often complex attack surface created by cloud adoption and digital transformation initiatives.

EASM solutions continuously scan and monitor an organization's external attack surface, which includes public-facing web applications, APIs, cloud services, IP ranges, domains, and any other internet-exposed assets. These tools help identify unknown, forgotten, or shadow IT assets that may be vulnerable to attacks.

A key feature of EASM is its ability to provide context-aware risk assessments. By correlating discovered assets with threat intelligence and vulnerability information, EASM platforms can prioritize risks based on their potential impact and likelihood of exploitation. This helps security teams focus their efforts on the most critical vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. EASM also often includes capabilities for continuous monitoring and alerting on changes to the external attack surface, ensuring that new vulnerabilities or exposed assets are quickly identified and addressed. For cloud environments, where resources can be rapidly provisioned and exposed to the internet, this real-time visibility is particularly valuable. Additionally, many EASM solutions offer integration with other security tools, such as vulnerability management systems or security orchestration platforms, enabling automated workflows for risk remediation and improving overall security posture.