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In the realm of cybersecurity, Attack Surface Management (ASM) has emerged as a critical discipline for organizations seeking to understand and mitigate risks across their digital footprint. However, one of the significant challenges faced by ASM solutions is the overwhelming volume of alerts and the need for effective prioritization amidst a sea of potential threats. In this blog, we delve into the industry's response to this challenge and examine the future of ASM in navigating the noise of cybersecurity alerts.

Here is the verbatim discussion:

Wanted to know, Chris, your thoughts on how is the industry responding to that? Because that's one of the things which ASM has as a challenge, like it throws just too many alerts. Prioritization also, right? I mean, as you mentioned, prioritization, false positives. So what's your thought on this and how, what's the future like? Yeah, and you know, the example of legacy vulnerability management shows you what's broken. It's noisy, produces a lot of findings future like? Yeah, and you know, the example of legacy vulnerability management shows you what's broken. It's noisy, produces a lot of findings that are low confidence. ASM can't do what that is doing, it'll fail. So ASM, even though it discovers even more assets more broadly, more comprehensively, through two methods of interaction with those remote assate either passive which is similar, not the same, but similar as the legacy vulnerability management or active assessments, meaning assets been identified. Okay, which is similar, not the same, but similar as the legacy vulnerability management or active assessments, meaning assets been identified. Okay.

Highlights:

1. The Noise of Alerts:

   • ASM solutions often generate a high volume of alerts, stemming from the comprehensive discovery of assets and potential vulnerabilities.
   • The sheer volume of alerts can overwhelm security teams, leading to alert fatigue, and making it challenging to identify and respond to genuine threats.

2. Prioritization and False Positives:

   • Effective prioritization of alerts is crucial for focusing resources on addressing the most critical risks.
   • However, the presence of false positives and low-confidence findings can complicate the prioritization process, leading to wasted time and resources.

3. Learning from Legacy Vulnerability Management:

   • Legacy vulnerability management solutions have highlighted the pitfalls of noisy alerts and low-confidence findings.
   • ASM solutions must learn from these challenges and develop mechanisms for reducing noise while maintaining comprehensive coverage of the attack surface.

4. Passive and Active Assessments:

   • ASM solutions employ both passive and active assessment methods to discover assets and vulnerabilities.
   • Passive assessments provide broad visibility but may result in a higher volume of alerts, while active assessments focus on identified assets but require careful management to avoid disrupting operations.

5. Shaping the Future of ASM:

   • The future of ASM lies in refining alerting mechanisms, enhancing prioritization capabilities, and reducing false positives.
   • Leveraging advanced analytics, machine learning, and automation will enable ASM solutions to evolve and adapt to the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape.

As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, addressing the challenge of alert noise and prioritization remains a top priority for Attack Surface Management. By learning from the pitfalls of legacy vulnerability management and leveraging advanced technologies, ASM solutions can shape the future of cybersecurity defense. Through effective alert management, prioritization, and automation, organizations can streamline their security operations and focus resources on mitigating the most critical risks. As we navigate the complexities of the digital age, ASM stands as a cornerstone of proactive cybersecurity, empowering organizations to safeguard their assets and protect against emerging threats.

Chris Ray, a seasoned professional in the cybersecurity field, brings a wealth of experience from small teams to large financial institutions, as well as industries such as healthcare, financials, and tech. He has acquired an extensive amount of experience advising and consulting with security vendors, helping them find product-market fit as well as deliver cyber security services.

Bikash Barai is credited for several innovations in the domain of Network Security and Anti-Spam Technologies and has multiple patents in USPTO. Fortune recognized Bikash among India’s Top 40 Business Leaders under the age of 40 (Fortune 40-under-40).Bikash is also an active speaker and has spoken at various forums like TiE, RSA Conference USA, TEDx etc.

Earlier he founded iViZ an IDG Ventures-backed company that was later acquired by Cigital and now Synopsys. iViZ was the first company in the world to take Ethical Hacking (or Penetration Testing) to
the cloud.

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