Is Cyber Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) the Future of Vulnerability Management?

BreachLock Attack Surface Discovery Blog Series (5 of 6)
Guest Author: Edward Amoroso
Chief Executive Officer, TAG Infosphere
Research Professor, NYU

Every enterprise security team recognizes the importance of vulnerability management. In fact, the vast majority of Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)-led teams include a designated group that focuses on vulnerability management. The problem is that conventional approaches such as trying to keep an inventory of known vulnerabilities and trying to keep up with patches have not worked well. Gaps remain in enterprise defenses, and teams have been hopeful to find better methods.

The industry has more recently begun to focus more on the issue of exposure, and a new category of solutions has arisen from the analyst community known as cyber threat exposure management or CTEM. While the naming and category treatment are less important, the focus on exposure is welcome, as it is so related to maintaining an understanding of the attack surface versus individual vulnerabilities that might be irrelevant to the organization.

Understanding CTEM

Cyber Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) is a model that describes the process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating vulnerabilities within an organization’s infrastructure. As cyber threats continue to evolve in complexity and sophistication, CTEM has become increasingly popular for explaining how an organization goes about maintaining security for its attack surface.

The CTEM model starts with an assessment of attack surface posture. This involves identifying assets, including hardware, software, and data, and understanding their visibility to attackers. The process includes scanning for vulnerabilities, evaluating the potential impact of various threats, and prioritizing the most critical risks. Tools like vulnerability scanners, penetration testing, and threat intelligence platforms are consistent with the goals of the model.

A key component of the CTEM model involves continuous monitoring. Cyber threats are obviously dynamic, with new vulnerabilities emerging regularly. Thus, by implementing real-time monitoring systems, organizations can detect and respond to threats more effectively. This proactive approach ensures that security measures are always up to date, reducing the window of opportunity for attackers.

Using CTEM to Improve VM

CTEM and vulnerability management are highly related approaches to cyber risk management. At its core, vulnerability management focuses on identifying, assessing, prioritizing, and remediating vulnerabilities within an organization’s IT infrastructure. CTEM expands this scope to include continuous monitoring, threat intelligence integration, incident response planning, and overall risk management.

As a result, vulnerability management can be viewed as a critical component of CTEM. It forms the foundation upon which the broader strategy of CTEM is built. By discovering vulnerabilities through scanning and assessments, vulnerability management provides data that feeds into the CTEM framework. This helps inform assessments, monitoring, and response, thus ensuring that the defenses are up-to-date and effective against relevant threats.

Penetration testing also plays a vital role in both CTEM and vulnerability management. As practitioners know, ptaas involves simulating real-world attacks to uncover vulnerabilities that might not be detected by automated scanners. This process is crucial for validating the effectiveness of vulnerability management efforts and identifying deeper, more complex security issues that could pose significant risks.

In the context of CTEM, penetration testing provides insights into how vulnerabilities could be exploited and the potential impact on the organization. By mimicking the techniques of actual attackers, penetration testing helps organizations better understand their risk landscape and prioritize their security efforts. This aligns with CTEM’s goal of comprehensive risk management and informed resource allocation.

How BreachLock Supports CTEM

BreachLock supports CTEM through its advanced penetration testing, continuous vulnerability scanning, actionable insights, seamless integration, and regulatory compliance support. Unlike traditional test methods, BreachLock leverages AI-driven tools with manual testing to identify vulnerabilities within the IT infrastructure. This hybrid approach ensures a thorough examination of systems, uncovering weaknesses that automated tools alone might miss.

BreachLock also supports CTEM through its continuous vulnerability scanning. This service provides ongoing monitoring and assessment of an organization’s network, ensuring that new vulnerabilities are promptly identified and addressed. Given the dynamic nature of cyber threats, this continuous scanning is critical. It helps organizations maintain a proactive stance, allowing them to respond to emerging threats before they can be exploited by malicious actors.

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About TAG

TAG is a trusted next generation research and advisory company that utilizes an AI-powered SaaS platform to deliver on-demand insights, guidance, and recommendations to enterprise teams, government agencies, and commercial vendors in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and climate science/sustainability.