{"id":2923,"date":"2024-11-11T07:38:42","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T07:38:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aegislens.com\/home\/?p=2923"},"modified":"2024-11-11T07:38:42","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T07:38:42","slug":"mastering-security-standards-a-guide-to-managing-vulnerabilities-and-exposures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aegislens.com\/home\/mastering-security-standards-a-guide-to-managing-vulnerabilities-and-exposures\/","title":{"rendered":"Mastering Security Standards: A Guide to Managing Vulnerabilities and Exposures"},"content":{"rendered":"

Setting A Security Standard: From Vulnerability To Exposure Management<\/h1>\n

For years, cybersecurity frameworks operated under the premise of vulnerability management: identifying, evaluating, treating, and reporting on security vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n

Although vital, this approach has proven inefficient in dealing with the exponential growth of sophisticated cybersecurity threats.<\/p>\n

Focusing predominately on widely recognized vulnerabilities only scratches the surface of potential security issues, often resolving as little as 1% to 20% on average.<\/p>\n

Vulnerability Management: A Reactive Approach<\/h2>\n

Vulnerability management represents a reactive stance against cyber threats.<\/p>\n

While this methodology was formerly sufficient, the rapidly evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats demands a more proactive approach.<\/p>\n

As per a IBM Security report<\/a>, the average cost of a data breach in 2024 rose to a staggering $4.88 million.<\/p>\n

The damages extend beyond financial loss, as breached entities also suffer substantial reputation damage, loss of customer trust, and potential legal consequences.<\/p>\n

Exposure Management: A Proactive Approach<\/h2>\n

Enter exposure management: an evolved approach to cyber risk that suggests continuous and thorough analysis of exposed business assets.<\/p>\n

Exposure management focuses on managing cyber risk as a whole.<\/p>\n

By considering the entire attack surface \u2014 including shadow IT, third-party code, and the supply chain \u2014 it enables organizations to identify and remediate weak points more efficiently.<\/p>\n

Rob Gurzeev, CEO of CyCognito, a leading exposure management platform, explains in a Help Net Security video,<\/a> “With exposure management, organizations essentially prioritize resources based on risk, not vulnerabilities, which allows for a more tailored, impactful, and successful cybersecurity strategy.”<\/p>\n

The Real-World Transition: A Closer Look at Marriott International and Capital One<\/h2>\n

Leaders in the industry are inching towards exposure management practices.<\/p>\n

Following the 2018 data breach that affected around 500 million of its customers, Marriott International has transitioned into an exposure management model.<\/p>\n

The transition has enabled the company to not only identify vulnerabilities but also evaluate and manage risk effectively.<\/p>\n

Similarly, Capital One Bank, after a high-profile data breach incident involving 106 million customer records, has adopted an exposure management strategy.<\/p>\n

The approach has allowed Capital One to better anticipate attacks and allocate resources towards high-risk vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n

Moving Forward<\/h2>\n

The shift from vulnerability management to exposure management indicates a mature understanding of the evolving cybersecurity landscape.<\/p>\n

For organizations looking to bolster their security posture, the focus should be on addressing the entire attack surface, identifying high-risk exposures, and taking action based on the risk associated with exposures, not just their existence.<\/p>\n

Follow-Up Reading:<\/h3>\n