The phrase “attack surface” is one of those terms in cybersecurity that seems simple at first glance, yet depending on who you ask, it can mean very different things. To some people, particularly security engineers, the attack surface is primarily about technology. It is the visible infrastructure, the public facing servers, the login portals and the applications exposed to the internet. These are the doors and windows that an attacker might try to push open in the digital world.
But if you ask others, the concept broadens significantly. For them, the attack surface goes beyond machines and code. It includes the human element, employees, their personal devices, and the trails of information they leave behind on social media. It stretches into shadow IT, those unsanctioned apps and services that people quietly adopt to make their jobs easier. In this view, the attack surface is not a set of servers but a sprawling landscape that combines technology, behaviour, and digital footprints.
At DarkInvader, the attack surface is seen through a slightly different lens. The team believes that anyone responsible for defending a business should consider two essential things. First, what could be attacked. Second, what information is available that might make such an attack more likely to succeed. This approach is not just about the locks on the doors, but also about the information that might help a thief pick the lock.
Take a simple example. A login portal might be a technical target, but the real risk comes when usernames and email addresses are found floating online. With those in hand, attackers can start password guessing or even combine them with leaked credentials from the dark web to launch far more convincing attacks.
Or imagine the finance director of a company. The person themselves becomes part of the attack surface. A wealth of personal detail shared openly on social media, from hobbies to holiday plans, can be weaponised to craft highly credible phishing attempts. The attack may begin with technology, but it gains strength from information.
This dual focus on “what could be attacked” and “what information is available to aid the attack” is central to how DarkInvader and its EASM platform help organisations map and understand their risks. By treating both the technical and human elements as part of the same picture, the platform highlights not just the obvious doors but also the hidden keys that an attacker might use.
It is about recognising that a server without context is only half the problem. A server combined with leaked credentials becomes a realistic threat. A person without context is just another employee. A person whose public profile is full of exploitable information becomes a prime target.
The modern attack surface is no longer static, and it is no longer just about hardware and software. It is dynamic, shifting with every new app adopted by staff, every leaked dataset on the dark web, and every personal post on social media. That is why a forward thinking approach is needed, one that maps not just the assets but also the intelligence that could be used against them.
DarkInvader’s EASM platform puts this principle into action. By continuously gathering intelligence and mapping risks across both infrastructure and information, it helps organisations see their attack surface as it really is. The goal is not just to know what could be attacked, but also to understand the likelihood of those attacks succeeding, and to reduce that likelihood wherever possible.
Unlock continuous, real-time security monitoring with DarkInsight. Sign up for your free account today and start protecting your external attack surface from potential threats.
Create My Free Account
DarkInvader, Calls Wharf, 2 The Calls, Leeds, LS2 7JU ©2024 DarkInvader, All Rights Reserved
