Why CISOs Are Prioritizing EASM for Third-Party Risk Management

Introduction

Supply chains have become an attractive target for cybercriminals. Enterprises increasingly rely on third-party vendors, cloud services, and software providers, creating complex networks with multiple entry points for attackers. A staggering 94% of CISOs express concern over third-party cybersecurity threats, yet only 3% have implemented a third-party cyber risk management solution, according to Panorays’ 2024 CISO Survey¹. This highlights a critical gap between awareness and action, emphasizing the need for solutions like External Attack Surface Management (EASM) to mitigate third-party risks effectively.

Recent high-profile breaches, such as the 2024 Change Healthcare, National Public Data, and Blue Yonder attacks, underscore the vulnerabilities associated with supply chain security. As cyber threats evolve, the need for real-time visibility into external assets and vulnerabilities has never been greater. In 2024, 65% of CISOs expected their third-party cyber risk management budget to increase and the same remains for 2025, reflecting the growing urgency to strengthen vendor security postures.¹

CISOs at very large enterprises (73%) are more concerned about third-party cybersecurity threats compared to mid-size enterprises (47%). Only 7% of CISOs report having no concerns at all, illustrating the near-universal recognition of third-party risk challenges.1 However, despite this awareness, widespread adoption of third-party security solutions remains low, leaving enterprises exposed to significant risks.

What is EASM and Its Role in Supply Chain Security?

EASM is an external cybersecurity solution that focuses on discovering, prioritizing, monitoring, and managing an enterprise’s external-facing assets, including those belonging to third-party vendors. EASM extends security beyond the perimeter to identify risks within the entire supply chain.

How EASM Relates to Third-Party Risks:

1. Continuous Discovery of External Assets: Identifying known and unknown assets belonging to vendors that interact with an enterprise’s infrastructure.

2. Risk Assessment of Vendor Systems: Analyzing third-party attack surfaces for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and exposed services.

3. Threat Intelligence and Dark Web Monitoring: Detecting compromised credentials, leaked data, and vulnerabilities associated with suppliers.

4. Continuous Monitoring and Alerts: Providing real-time updates on emerging risks from third-party ecosystems.

By offering automated and continuous visibility into third-party risks, EASM empowers enterprises to proactively secure their supply chain, rather than waiting for an attack to expose vulnerabilities.

The Evolving Landscape of Supply Chain Security: Challenges Today and Tomorrow

In 2025, supply chain security remains one of the most pressing concerns for enterprises worldwide. The complexity of modern supply chains—fueled by cloud adoption, interconnected vendor ecosystems, and increasing regulatory pressures—has created an environment where third-party risks are more difficult to manage than ever before. As we move into 2025 and beyond, these challenges will not only persist but also evolve in sophistication, demanding a more proactive and adaptive approach to security.

Current Challenges: A Fragile Security Foundation

1. Lack of Visibility into Vendor Environments

Enterprises are increasingly reliant on third-party vendors, yet 63% of cybersecurity professionals cited asset visibility as their top challenge in 2024.¹ The inability to fully map and monitor vendor environments makes it difficult to assess security risks, detect threats, and enforce security controls effectively.

2. Inconsistent Security Postures Across Supply Chains

Each vendor operates under its own security policies, leading to significant disparities in protection levels. This inconsistency creates weak links, where attackers can exploit the most vulnerable supplier to gain access to broader networks.

3. Increasing Compliance and Regulatory Requirements

Governments and regulatory bodies are intensifying security mandates. Frameworks such as NIS2, DORA, and SEC cybersecurity disclosure rules now require enterprises to conduct rigorous third-party security assessments. Non-compliance carries severe penalties, making vendor security a critical business concern.

4. Growing Attack Surface Due to Cloud Adoption

The shift to cloud-first strategies and SaaS-driven ecosystems has exponentially expanded the attack surface. While cloud services enable agility and efficiency, they also introduce new risks, as enterprises must now secure a web of third-party integrations and API connections that attackers actively target.

What’s Next? The Third-Party Risks of 2025

As enterprises attempt to strengthen their supply chain security, adversaries are already adapting—leveraging new technologies and tactics to infiltrate vendor ecosystems.

1. AI-Powered Cyberattacks

The use of AI in cybercrime is rising, with 50% of security teams already reporting an increase in AI-driven threats targeting supply chains.1 Attackers are using AI to automate reconnaissance, craft more convincing phishing campaigns, and develop evasive malware capable of bypassing traditional defenses.

2. Expansion of IoT Devices

The proliferation of IoT devices within supply chains introduces a new wave of security challenges. Many IoT endpoints lack strong security controls, making them an easy entry point for attackers looking to move laterally through vendor networks.

3. More Sophisticated Social Engineering Attacks

Threat actors will continue to exploit third-party relationships through phishing, business email compromise (BEC), and impersonation tactics. With AI-enhanced deepfake technology, attackers will be able to create highly convincing fraudulent communications that make vendor impersonation more difficult to detect.

4. Complexity in Vendor Risk Management

As enterprises expand their vendor ecosystems, managing third-party risks will become increasingly difficult. Traditional security questionnaires and periodic audits will no longer be sufficient. Businesses will need continuous vulnerability identification, automated risk monitoring and prioritization, and real-time correlation of threat intelligence and test findings to better understand the best remediation efforts to keep pace with evolving threats.

The supply chain security challenges of today will only intensify in the years ahead. Enterprises must shift toward proactive vendor risk management, leveraging continuous attack surface monitoring, automated security assessments, and AI-driven threat identification to mitigate risks before they are exploited. By adopting a more dynamic and intelligence-driven approach, businesses can stay ahead of emerging threats and ensure the resilience of their supply chain security.

EASM Tools and Techniques for Third-Party Security

CISOs remain confident that AI solutions can improve third-party security management and prevent a significant number of breaches. When it comes to reducing third-party threats, CISOs use a combination of tools to gain effectiveness. Out of different security options, CISOs rate cyber questionnaires for third parties (73%), compliance management tools (70%), and API monitoring of third parties in the supply chain (68%) as the most effective tools.¹ To address these challenges, enterprises are leveraging Offensive Security solutions such as advanced EASM tools and methodologies. Key techniques include:

• Asset Discovery and Inventory: Continuously identifying and cataloging all external-facing assets, including shadow IT and third-party dependencies.
• Attack Surface Risk Scoring: Assigning risk levels to external assets based on real-time threat intelligence and security posture analysis.
• Dark Web and Threat Intelligence Monitoring: Tracking leaked credentials, breached data, and exposed assets on underground forums.
• Automated Vulnerability Scanning: Detecting misconfigurations, outdated software, and exploitable weaknesses in third-party systems.
• Continuous Penetration Testing: Only 40% of enterprises conduct frequent security testing on third-party integrations, underscoring the need for proactive assessments.

How EASM Secures Third-Party Risk Management

How to Choose an EASM Provider for Third-Party Security

Selecting the right EASM provider is crucial for effective supply chain risk management. Consider the following factors:

• Scalability and Automation: A robust EASM solution should support large-scale vendor environments with automated processes.
• Comprehensive Asset Discovery Ensure the provider can detect both known and unknown assets, including shadow IT.
• Real-Time Monitoring and Alerts: Look for continuous tracking of third-party vulnerabilities and external exposures.
• A Unified Platform: A unified platform that integrates EASM with other proactive solutions such as Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS), and continuous penetration testing for third-party APIs as well as LLM applications and API-Based LLMs, if these Gen AI models are being used by the vendor. This consolidation of tools enables correlation of test findings across the attack surface to significantly improve vulnerability identification and accelerate remediation processes.
• Integration with Existing Security Stack: The solution should seamlessly integrate with SIEM, SOAR, and threat intelligence platforms.
• Threat Intelligence Capabilities: Choose a provider that monitors the Dark Web and analyzes emerging threats in supply chain ecosystems.

BreachLock’s Role in EASM for Supply Chain Security

BreachLock provides an advanced, AI-powered EASM designed to secure enterprises and their third-party ecosystems. The BreachLock Unified Platform offers:

• Comprehensive Asset Discovery: Identifying known and unknown external assets across supply chains.
• Continuous Vulnerability Management: Providing automated scanning, risk assessment, and proactive mitigation.
• Real-Time Threat Intelligence: BreachLock draws upon contextual data derived by thousands of pentests and vulnerability scans to accelerate threat identification, including Dark Web activity, leaked credentials, and threat actor tactics.
• Seamless Integration with Enterprise Security: The BreachLock Platform aligns with existing security frameworks such as OWASP Testing Guide and OWASP ASVS, MITRE ATT&CK, NIST, ASSTMM, PTES, and more for streamlined vulnerability identification and risk management.
• Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS): EASM can service as a roadmap and starting point for pentesting delivering human-led testing combined with automated assessments to uncover real-world attack vectors.
• Gen AI (LLMs): BreachLock offers pentesting for LLM applications, API-based LLMs, custom and pre-trained models integrated into the business workflow.

By leveraging BreachLock’s Unified Platform and EASM capabilities, enterprises can proactively mitigate third-party cybersecurity risks, ensuring a secure and resilient supply chain.

Conclusion

As cyber threats continue to evolve, securing the supply chain is no longer optional. EASM provides the continuous visibility, automated risk assessment, and real-time threat intelligence needed to manage third-party risks effectively. With 44% of CISOs prioritizing risk quantification and 40% valuing suggested remediation actions, adopting a proactive approach to external attack surface management is essential.1 With BreachLock’s cutting-edge EASM solutions, businesses can stay ahead of emerging third-party threats and build a robust and secure vendor supply chain.

Reference:

1. Panorays. (2024, January 25). Panorays 2024 CISO survey. Dark Reading.