What Is Attack Surface Management?

Attack Surface Management (ASM) is the continuous process of discovering, analyzing, and securing every digital asset that could be targeted by cyber attackers.

While traditional security assessments capture a moment in time, ASM works nonstop by monitoring changes, detecting shadow IT, and identifying exposures as soon as they appear.

ASM covers:

  • Public-facing systems
  • Cloud assets & configurations
  • Unmanaged / forgotten infrastructure
  • Third-party exposures
  • Web apps, APIs, and domains
  • User-accessible environments
  • Why Your Business Needs Attack Surface Management

    Today’s IT environments change rapidly - new cloud services, expanding SaaS usage, external assets created by teams without approval, and legacy systems still exposed online.

    Without ASM, businesses remain vulnerable to:

  • Unknown open ports
  • Misconfigured cloud assets
  • Exposed databases & endpoints
  • Credential leaks
  • Abandoned but active assets
  • High-risk vulnerabilities in public systems
  • Email Protection Software

    DataguardNXT’s ASM helps you:

    Identify every exposed asset—known or unknown
    Detect shadow IT and unauthorized systems
    Prioritize risk based on exploitability & business impact
    Prevent breaches caused by misconfigurations
    Monitor external attack vectors 24×7
    Strengthen compliance with ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI, NESA, and more

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

    VAPT is a controlled attack simulation. ASM is continuous discovery and monitoring of your external assets.

    Yes. ASM identifies unauthorized cloud instances, domains, and publicly exposed services.

    Continuously, changes are detected and flagged in real time.

    Yes. ASM discovers and monitors assets across cloud-native, hybrid, and on-premises environments.

    Attack Surface Management typically relies on a combination of advanced monitoring platforms, external threat intelligence sources, automated vulnerability scanners, penetration testing utilities, and security orchestration frameworks. These tools work together to continuously discover exposed assets, detect misconfigurations, and identify emerging risks across your digital environment.

    Organizations can enhance ASM by adopting continuous monitoring, conducting frequent security reviews, minimizing unnecessary external exposure, enforcing strong access controls, and supporting these efforts with a Zero Trust approach.