EASM and PTaaS: A match made in cyber heaven

Outpost24 Software,
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It’s easy to lose track of just how many publicly-facing digital assets your organization has. The problem is, neglected, vulnerable, or even forgotten assets can serve as attack routes for cybercriminals. External Attack Surface Management, or EASM, can be a game-changing tool for organizations with a large or complex online footprint, as it gives full visibility over this sprawling web of both known and unknown assets.

Penetration testing now comes in a SaaS delivery model, in the form Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) for continuous, on-demand security assessments of web applications. The benefits are similar to EASM – continuous monitoring delivered in a flexible, scalable way. So combining EASM and PTaaS into a single solution actually makes a lot of sense.

How does EASM work?

EASM can be thought of as a proactive way to stay one step ahead of potential threats by continuously monitoring and assessing your external attack surface. It means any vulnerable assets are flagged to your security team before an opportunistic hacker comes across them instead. This includes assets that might be outside your immediate control, such as third-party services and shadow IT.

EASM shifts the focus from reactive security and lets identify and mitigate threats before they become incidents:

  • Enhanced collaboration: Security teams can share findings with IT and development teams to ensure vulnerabilities are addressed promptly.
  • Discovery and mapping: EASM tools start by discovering all the digital assets associated with your organization, including domains, subdomains, IP addresses, and cloud resources. Once the assets are identified, EASM tools map out how these assets are interconnected. This helps in understanding the potential pathways an attacker might use to infiltrate your network.
  • Vulnerability assessment: EASM tools operate in real-time, continuously scanning for new vulnerabilities and changes in your external environment. They also prioritize risk based on the potential impact and the likelihood of exploitation.
  • Threat Intelligence: Some EASM tools are able to integrate with threat intelligence feeds to provide context around the vulnerabilities they discover. For example, flagging mentions of your organization on the dark web.

What are the benefits of PTaaS over traditional pen testing?

PTaaS can be more cost-effective than traditional pen testing, especially for smaller organizations or those with limited budgets. You pay for the testing you need, when you need it, without the overhead of maintaining an in-house team. This regular, on-demand testing helps ensure that your security measures remain robust and up-to-date.

This is particularly helpful in environments where changes are frequent, such as cloud and DevOps environments. And PTaaS doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the expertise and support of human testers. For example, with Outpost24’s Application Security solution, most vulnerability findings are produced by our in-house testing team, and peer reviewed by a senior pen tester. You can also interact directly with our security experts for validation and remediation guidance, all via a portal.

Why combine EASM with PTaaS?

We’ve seen the benefits of using these tools individually, so why combine them together at all? Why not just have both tools, from different vendors? At Outpost24, we’ve developed our CyberFlex solution to give organizations the best of both these tools, in an efficient and cost-effective package. Some of the benefits include:

  • Gaining a consistent and clear view of your application attack surface, including the discovery and inventory of all known and unknown internet-facing applications connected to your organization 
  • Lowering the risk of data breaches by conducting deeper and more frequent PTaaS assessments of applications discovered through EASM 
  • Enrolling business-critical applications in flexible, human-led penetration testing to identify both technical and business-logic vulnerabilities 
  • Planning and managing penetration testing budgets and resources more effectively through a flexible annual AppSec consumption agreement 
  • Implementing straightforward and effective remediation actions to close security gaps and establish appropriate in-depth AppSec programs
  • Prioritizing application risks with detailed risk categorization from certified penetration testers, including risk ratings based on business criticality 
  • Understanding the new application landscape during M&A, assessing the associated risks, and making informed recommendations on next actions. 

Try Outpost24’s CyberFlex

Outpost24 recently introduced a new flexible, annual PTaaS consumption agreement to make it easier for customers who are carrying out PTaaS assessments and assign budgets to business-critical apps throughout the annual subscription. With a single, flexible agreement, you get fast, scalable, and business-driven pen testing, all seamlessly delivered through our interactive portal. You’ll enjoy access to:

  • Comprehensive discovery: Identify all your applications, both known and unknown in the attack surface 
  • Control and visibility: Gain full control and visibility over your application attack surface 
  • In-depth risk categorization: Prioritize PTaaS assessments with detailed risk categorization and recommendations from our EU-based Appsec pen testing team
  • Flexible annual consumption agreement: Simplify budgeting and resource management with flexible annual PTaaS consumption agreement
  • Continuous pen testing: Ensure continuous protection for critical applications with focused pen testing assessments 

Interested in seeing how Outpost24 CyberFlex can work for your organization? Contact us for a live demo.