What is External Attack Surface?

The external attack surface of an organization refers to the digital footprint that is visible to the public or accessible from the internet. This includes websites, applications, APIs, and other digital assets that are exposed to the internet. Attackers often target these external assets to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information, disrupt business operations, or cause other types of damage. To protect against external attacks, organizations need to understand their external attack surface and identify potential vulnerabilities.

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External attack surface assessments are a type of security testing that helps organizations identify and understand their external attack surface. This involves conducting a comprehensive analysis of an organization's digital footprint to identify all external-facing assets and identify potential vulnerabilities. This can include analyzing websites, applications, and APIs for vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and other common web application vulnerabilities. Additionally, external attack surface assessments may include identifying open ports and services on the organization's network that could be exploited by attackers.

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By conducting regular external attack surface assessments, organizations can gain visibility into their digital footprint and identify potential vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by attackers. This can help organizations reduce the risk of data breaches, theft of sensitive information, and other security incidents. External attack surface assessments should be performed on a regular basis to ensure that an organization's digital footprint remains secure against the evolving threat landscape.