Attack Surface

Attack surfaces are growing faster than most SecOps teams can track. Hackers gain potential entry points with each new cloud service, API, or IoT device. The more entry points systems have, the more vulnerabilities may potentially be left unaddressed, particularly in non-human identities and legacy systems. The key to a stronger defense thus lies in understanding the nuances of attack surfaces and what causes them to expand.

What is attack surface?

The attack surface in cyber security collectively refers to all potential entry points an attacker can exploit to breach an organization’s systems or data. It includes networks, applications, cloud services, and physical infrastructure. This surface is not static; it constantly evolves as organizations adopt new technologies, update systems, or change their operational practices. 

For instance, a company migrating to cloud services expands its attack surface to include potential misconfigurations in cloud settings. An organization adopting IoT devices in a manufacturing plant introduces new hardware-based vulnerabilities. 

Types of attack surface

The attack surface can be broadly categorized into three main types: digital, physical, and social engineering. 

Digital attack surface

The digital attack surface is multifaceted. It includes network-based vulnerabilities like exposed ports and misconfigured firewalls, software-based weaknesses like application vulnerabilities and outdated systems, and cloud-based risks involving misconfigurations in cloud services. A critical component of the digital attack surface is the secret attack surface, which includes threats related to non-human identities like service accounts, API keys, access tokens, and improperly managed secrets and credentials. These elements can provide attackers extensive access to sensitive systems and data if compromised.

Physical attack surface

The physical attack surface includes tangible elements like hardware devices and physical access points. Unsecured servers, workstations, and IoT devices, as well as unlocked server rooms, unsupervised workstations, and improperly disposed hardware, fall into this category.

Social engineering attack surface

The social engineering attack surface focuses on human factors and communication channels. It includes individuals’ susceptibility to phishing attempts, social manipulation, and the potential for insider threats. Unsecured communication channels like email, chat applications, and social media platforms also contribute to this attack surface.

Why is a wide attack surface problematic?

A broad attack surface significantly amplifies an organization’s vulnerability to cyber threats. Let’s understand with an example. Consider a multinational corporation with a complex network of cloud services, legacy systems, and third-party integrations. Each of these components represents a potential entry point for attackers. 

With more potential entry points, the likelihood of a successful attack increases drastically. The sheer volume of systems and interfaces makes monitoring difficult, stretching security teams thin as they attempt to secure a vast array of potential vulnerabilities. This resource strain often leads to critical oversights; a single overlooked cloud misconfiguration or an outdated server credential could provide cybercriminals with the foothold they need to infiltrate the entire system. 

Because attack surfaces are so vulnerable, managing them effectively requires that security teams know all the potential attack vectors.

Attack vectors and attack surface

Attack vectors are the specific methods or pathways that attackers use to exploit vulnerabilities within the attack surface. They represent the “how” of cyber attacks, while the attack surface represents the “where.” For example, if compromised, an API key used for service-to-service communication could serve as an attack vector. 

What increases the attack surface?

As organizations evolve, so do their attack vectors and overall attack surface. Many factors contribute to this expansion:

• Cloud adoption and legacy systems: The increasing integration of cloud services introduces new entry points and potential misconfigurations. At the same time, existing legacy systems remain highly vulnerable. For instance, older Windows server OS versions are 77% more likely to experience attack attempts than newer versions.
• Inadequate patch management: Nearly 30% of all devices remain unpatched for critical vulnerabilities like Log4Shell, which creates exploitable vectors for cybercriminals.
• The proliferation of non-human identities: Service accounts, API keys, and other machine identities often go overlooked. If compromised, these can provide attackers with extensive access to sensitive data.
• Poor secrets management: Exposed credentials and encryption keys significantly expand the attack surface. Compromised secrets security enables attackers to simply log in instead of hacking the systems.

Organizations need comprehensive visibility and control over their assets, identities, and secrets to manage the expanding attack surface effectively. This includes implementing robust strategies for non-human identity management, including secrets management, across complex environments. Specialized security platforms like Entro can help you gain real-time visibility into these often-overlooked aspects of the attack surface so that you can better identify vulnerabilities, enforce least-privilege access, and implement effective secrets rotation policies.