It’s commonly accepted that the best defense is a good offence. Gartner® describes continuous threat exposure management (or CTEM) as a “program that surfaces and actively prioritizes whatever most threatens your business” and predicts that by 2026, organizations will see a two-thirds reduction in security breaches when they prioritize security investments based on a CTEM program.
When organizations go on the offense with continuous threat exposure management, they proactively monitor and defend their systems from attacks and patch the most important vulnerabilities immediately, preventing serious consequences.
What is continuous threat exposure management?
Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) is a strategic approach to cybersecurity that goes beyond just reacting to threats and emphasizes proactive, continuous monitoring and management of an organization’s vulnerabilities to cyberattacks.
Close your eyes. Not now, after reading this paragraph.
Imagine you’re building a sandcastle. You’ve spent all morning making it the palace of your dreams, with a moat, towers, and a central court. But then, the tide starts coming in. You watch the waves getting closer and closer and worry about the safety of your masterpiece.
Fortunately, you’ve hired a few local mollusks to guard your sandcastle. These tiny guards constantly watch the water and warn you before the waves get too close. Using clever tools like binoculars and flags, your guards track the waves and warn you when it’s time to dig a deeper moat or move your castle to a safer spot. Your guards help you understand how big the waves might get and how fast they’re coming, so you can be prepared and protect your creation.
Imagine your organization’s computer network as your sandcastle. Just like waves on the beach, hackers, viruses, and other “bad guys” are always trying to break in. Continuous threat exposure management means having a team guarding the walls of your computer network and watching for these threats 24/7. Your team uses special tools to see threats coming and sound the alarm, so defenses are deployed, and your computer networks and infrastructure are kept safe.
What are the key components of threat exposure management?
The key components of CTEM are continuous monitoring, vulnerability prioritization, mobilization & remediation planning, and risk communication.
Back to our sandcastle example.
Imagine your organization as your sandcastle, with valuable treasures inside. Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) is your team of dedicated guards continuously patrolling the walls, on the lookout for weaknesses and intruders. Here’s what they do:
Continuous Monitoring
Your guards constantly scan the external landscape, using tools like vulnerability scanners and threat intelligence feeds. They identify potential weaknesses in your defenses, like unguarded gates or crumbling ramparts, representing security vulnerabilities.
Vulnerability Prioritization
Your guards assess each vulnerability based on its potential impact, like how easily it could be exploited and the damage it could cause. They prioritize critical risks, securing the most vulnerable points first.
Mobilization & Remediation Planning
After identifying risks, the guards develop battle plans! These strategies address vulnerabilities, like patching software, deploying additional security measures, or even conducting simulated attacks to test defenses.
Risk Communication
Keeping everyone informed is crucial. Your guards ensure all stakeholders, from top management to frontline employees, understand the current threats and how they impact the organization’s “expanding attack surface.” This awareness enables everyone to play their part in maintaining strong cybersecurity.
An attack surface is the sum of all the entry points where someone could try to gain unauthorized access to your data, systems, or network including cloud services or third-party vendors, applications, devices, physical infrastructure, and people.
By continuously monitoring, prioritizing risks, planning responses, and communicating effectively, CTEM helps organizations transform from passive targets to proactive defenders, ensuring their digital castles remain secure in the face of ever-evolving threats.
What are the core principles of CTEM?
By actively adhering to these core principles, organizations can establish a strong cybersecurity posture and proactively manage their exposure to evolving threats.
The core principles of Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) are:
Proactive, not reactive
Unlike traditional security approaches that focus on patching vulnerabilities after they’re discovered, CTEM actively seeks out potential threats and weaknesses for repair.
Continuous monitoring
CTEM involves ongoing monitoring of your organization’s digital and physical assets to identify any changes, vulnerabilities, or suspicious activity.
Holistic view
CTEM considers all your attack surfaces, including networks, applications, devices, physical infrastructure, and even third-party vendors.
Risk-based prioritization
Not all threats are created equal. CTEM prioritizes vulnerabilities based on their potential impact and likelihood of exploitability, focusing resources on the most critical risks first.
Threat intelligence
CTEM incorporates external threat intelligence feeds to stay informed about the latest attack methods and emerging threats.
Automation and orchestration
Continuous threat exposure management utilizes automation to streamline tasks like data collection, vulnerability scanning, and response actions, improving efficiency and effectiveness.
Communication and collaboration
Regular communication across all levels of the organization is crucial for ensuring everyone understands the threats and takes necessary precautions.
Continuous improvement
CTEM is an ongoing process, not a one-time solution. It demands continuous evaluation, adaptation, and improvement based on lessons learned and evolving threats.
How is CTEM different from traditional security approaches?
CTEM offers a more comprehensive, proactive, and risk-based approach to security, compared to the reactive and siloed nature of traditional methods. CTEM is different from traditional security approaches in that it is:
Proactive vs. Reactive
Traditional methods rely on point-in-time vulnerability assessments and react to detected threats, which is as useful as locking your doors after someone tries to break in. CTEM proactively monitors for vulnerabilities and threats, aiming to prevent attacks before they happen.
Holistic vs. Siloed
Traditional security approaches often focus on specific areas like network security or application security, leading to blind spots. CTEM takes a holistic view of the entire attack surface, encompassing networks, applications, devices, physical infrastructure, and even third-party vendors.
Risk-based vs. Asset-based
Traditional security practices often emphasize securing all assets equally, which can be resource-intensive and inefficient. Whereas CTEM prioritizes vulnerabilities based on their potential impact and exploitability, focusing resources on the most critical risks.
Continuous vs. Periodic
Traditional methods procedures rely on periodic scans and assessments, leaving gaps in monitoring between scans. CTEM continuously monitors for threats and vulnerabilities, providing real-time insights and faster response times.
Threat Intelligence-driven vs. Static
Traditional methods rely on internal knowledge and limited threat intelligence while CTEM integrates external threat intelligence feeds to stay updated on the latest attack methods and emerging threats.
Automated vs. Manual
Traditional security procedures rely heavily on manual processes, leading to slower response times and potential human error while CTEM leverages automation for tasks like data collection, vulnerability scanning, and response actions, improving efficiency and effectiveness.
Collaborative vs. Independent
Traditional practices focus on security within individual teams, potentially leading to fragmented efforts. CTEM takes a unified approach, requiring collaboration across all departments, including IT, security, operations, and management.
Continuous Improvement vs. Static
Traditional methods view security as a fixed state, potentially overlooking evolving threats and vulnerabilities. CTEM embraces continuous improvement through regular evaluation, adaptation, and enhancement based on new information and lessons learned.
What are the five steps in the cycle of CTEM?
Step 1 – Scoping
Start by identifying the objectives of your CTEM program and then map your organization’s vulnerable entry points and assets.
Step 2 – Discovery
Identify the hidden vulnerabilities or any weak points within your organization’s infrastructure.
Step 3 – Prioritization
Prioritize the threats that bad actors are most likely to exploit against your organization.
Step 4 – Validation
Systematically verify whether identified issues are truly exploitable, then analyze how weak points are likely to be attacked, and finally, examine the effectiveness of the fixes your team has created to address the identified issues.
Step 5 – Mobilization
In the final stage of the process, collaborating teams from across the organization mobilize to put the CTEM findings into practice.
What are the benefits of CTEM?
Implementing continuous threat exposure management brings a range of benefits for your organization, enhancing security posture, streamlining processes, and increasing resilience against ever-evolving threats. Here are some key advantages:
Enhanced Security Posture
Proactive Risk Management: CTEM identifies and prioritizes vulnerabilities, allowing for mitigation and remediation steps, minimizing the attack surface, and reducing the likelihood of breaches.
Improved Threat Detection: Continuous monitoring provides real-time insights into potential threats, enabling faster detection and quicker response times, minimizing the impact of successful attacks.
Streamlined Processes
Efficient Resource Allocation: Prioritization of risks based on their severity helps allocate resources more effectively, focusing efforts on the most critical vulnerabilities and optimizing security investments.
Automation Benefits: Automated tasks like vulnerability scanning, data collection, and response actions, improve efficiency, reduce manual efforts, and minimize human error.
Increased Resilience
Adaptability to Change: Continuous monitoring and improvement help organizations adapt to evolving threats and changing landscapes, maintaining strong security posture despite dynamic environments.
Improved Business Continuity: Reduced disruptions and downtime due to cyberattacks ensure that your organization can continue operating smoothly, minimizing financial losses and reputational damage.
What are the challenges of CTEM?
Implementing Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) while beneficial, comes with its own set of challenges:
Complexity of Implementation
Integrating disparate tools and technologies: Combining data from various security tools, network infrastructure, and external threat intelligence feeds can be complex and requires expertise.
Managing false positives and alerts: High volumes of alerts generated by continuous monitoring can overwhelm security teams, requiring efficient filters and prioritization methods to identify real threats. AI-enabled tools can help mitigate alert fatigue.
Organizational and Cultural Hurdles
Breaking down silos and fostering collaboration: Effective CTEM relies on information sharing and collaboration across departments, which can be challenging in organizations with siloed structures.
Managing change and resistance: Implementing new processes and tools can encounter resistance from employees accustomed to traditional security approaches.
Technical Challenges
Data overload and processing: Analyzing massive amounts of data from continuous monitoring requires robust infrastructure and efficient data processing capabilities. AI-enabled tools can help with data overload and processing.
Keeping pace with evolving threats: Adapting the CTEM program to constantly emerging attack methods and vulnerabilities requires ongoing monitoring and adjustments.
Addressing these challenges requires careful planning, strategic implementation, and a commitment to continuous improvement. By acknowledging these hurdles and proactively seeking solutions, organizations can optimize their CTEM program and reap its full benefits.
Don’t just react to the next attack – anticipate it, prepare for it, and prevent it with CTEM
Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) is a paradigm shift in how organizations approach cybersecurity. Moving from reactive firefighting (defense) to proactive prevention (offense), CTEM offers a holistic view of your attack surface and empowers you to identify and address threats before they materialize.
While implementing CTEM comes with its own set of challenges, the potential benefits are undeniable. Enhanced security posture, streamlined processes, and increased resilience are just a few rewards for organizations that embrace this continuous, risk-based approach.
By incorporating CTEM into your security strategy, you equip yourself with the agility and foresight needed to navigate the challenging and evolving terrain of cyberthreats, ensuring your organization remains secure and adaptable.
Secure your castle! Don’t just react to the next attack – anticipate it, prepare for it, and prevent it with CTEM.
