Key Points
Attack surfaces are growing rapidly – often faster than security teams can keep up. Without the right tool, it’s difficult for businesses to keep track of all their exposed assets, especially with modern cloud systems enabling developers to frequently deploy new services.
In this guide, we look at different attack surface management (ASM) tools and how they can help you uncover your attack surface and reduce risk to your business.
TL;DR
- Intruder: Best for medium-sized businesses looking for an automated external attack surface management solution.
- Detectify: Best for web developers and companies with dynamic web applications that need frequent security testing.
- Rapid 7: Best for enterprises seeking a mature, integrated vulnerability management platform focused primarily on the detection of vulnerabilities instead of wider attack surface issues.
- Qualys External Attack Surface Management: Best for large organizations that are capable of configuring a more complex product.
- Tenable Attack Surface Management: Best for enterprises aiming for detailed and continuous insight into their external vulnerabilities and exposures.
- Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management: Best for businesses operating within the Microsoft ecosystem looking to enhance their security and reduce their attack surface.
- CyCognito: Best for organizations that need an advanced, automated solution for identifying and prioritizing risks in their IT environment.
- CrowdStrike Falcon Surface: Best for organizations looking for a comprehensive, integrated security solution that covers both endpoint protection and external attack surface management.
- Mandiant Advantage: Best for enterprises needing a sophisticated solution that combines attack surface management with deep threat intelligence.
- Cymulate: Best for organizations seeking to proactively test and improve their cyber security posture through continuous, automated simulations.
10 best attack surface management solutions
1. Intruder
Intruder is an external attack surface management tool that continuously monitors your attack surface to discover unknown assets and highlight exposures that traditional scanners miss. It proactively checks for emerging threats to keep your attack surface secure even when the threat landscape changes. You can connect Intruder’s ASM tool with AWS, GCP, Cloudflare, or Azure to automatically scan newly deployed cloud services.
Key features
- Comprehensive asset discovery of externally facing assets, including subdomains, login pages, APIs, exposed services, and more
- Full visibility and search functionality across your external attack surface’s ports, services, and technologies
- Multi-scanner detection of attack surface issues providing better coverage than any other platform
Best for
Medium-sized businesses looking for an automated external attack surface management solution.
2. Detectify
Detectify is an attack surface management solution and application scanning tool. It helps businesses discover their internet-facing subdomains and manage vulnerabilities in web apps and APIs. Detectify leverages a community of ethical hackers to discover vulnerabilities in widely-used technologies.
Key features
- Some asset discovery features for attack surface protection, e.g. subdomain detection
- Crowdsource-powered vulnerability detection
- Good coverage of web application security
Best for
Web developers and companies with dynamic web applications that need frequent security testing.
3. Rapid 7
Rapid 7 provides a suite of cyber security solutions, including a Cyber Asset Attack Surface Management platform (CAASM) for external visibility. The platform helps you assess the security posture of individual assets by providing information on the security controls in place, the number of vulnerabilities present, and whether the asset is online.
Key features
- A graphic database that illustrates the relationships between assets
- Some visibility of external assets
- Advanced vulnerability management and risk assessment through InsightVM
Best for
Enterprises seeking a mature, integrated vulnerability management platform focused primarily on the detection of vulnerabilities instead of wider attack surface issues.
4. Qualys External Attack Surface Management
Qualys’ external attack surface management platform helps enterprises manage cyber risk across their attack surfaces, including exposed assets from mergers, acquisitions, and subsidies. The platform automatically discovers exploitable issues to help prioritize risk.
Key features
- Continuous discovery of internet-facing assets
- Comprehensive reporting and dashboards
- Integration with Qualys’ vulnerability management, detection and response (VMDR) solution
Best for
Large organizations that are capable of configuring a more complex product.
5. Tenable Attack Surface Management
Tenable's attack surface management software provides visibility and insight into an organization's external attack surface. It identifies internet-facing assets, continuously assesses them for vulnerabilities and misconfigurations, and contextualizes them for your business. Tenable’s attack surface management capabilities are available through its exposure management platform, Tenable One.
Key features
- Real-time asset discovery and inventory
- Notifications on changes in your attack surface for continuous monitoring
- Integration with Tenable’s vulnerability management solutions
Best for
Enterprises aiming for detailed and continuous insight into their external vulnerabilities and exposures.
6. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management focuses on minimizing the attack surface of Windows and Azure environments. It continuously discovers assets such as domains, IP blocks, and email contacts to provide an external view of your online infrastructure.
Key features
- Visibility of assets and unknown shadow IT
- Attack Surface Insights aid prioritization and provide context on exposures
- Integration with Microsoft’s security product suite
Best for
Businesses operating within the Microsoft ecosystem looking to enhance their security and reduce their attack surface.
7. CyCognito
CyCognito is an attack surface management platform that helps organizations discover, assess, and manage their exposed attack surface. The platform automatically identifies external assets using attacker reconnaissance methods and provides continuous security testing to establish risk.
Key features
- Automated asset discovery and classification
- Risk prioritization based on business impact
- Continuous monitoring and proactive threat detection
Best for
Organizations that need an advanced, automated solution for identifying and prioritizing risks in their IT environment.
8. CrowdStrike Falcon Surface
CrowdStrike Falcon Surface is an attack surface management solution that leverages threat intelligence to provide visibility into potential vulnerabilities and risks. The platform also features a discovery path map that visualizes how assets are associated with the organization, helping to identify orphaned or undermanaged assets.
Key features
- Real-time visibility of external-facing assets
- Advanced threat detection and response
- Integration with CrowdStrike's endpoint protection platform
Best for
Organizations looking for a comprehensive, integrated security solution that covers both endpoint protection and external attack surface management.
9. Mandiant Advantage
Mandiant Advantage provides organizations with a comprehensive view of their external attack surface, including shared environments like supply chain ecosystems and subsidiary portfolios. The ASM solution discovers digital assets, identifies the technologies running on them, detects vulnerabilities, and provides detailed technical information on each issue.
Key features
- Continuous attack surface discovery and monitoring
- Threat intelligence integration
- Detailed risk analysis
Best for
Enterprises needing a sophisticated solution that combines attack surface management with deep threat intelligence.
10. Cymulate
Cymulate’s cyber security platform enables organizations to continuously validate their security posture through automated attack simulations. Its attack surface management solution identifies external assets and scans for security issues to help organizations understand the risk to their attack surface.
Key features
- Automated breach and attack simulation (BAS)
- Findings mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK framework
- Searches the dark web for sensitive information and indicators of data breaches
Best for
Organizations seeking to proactively test and improve their cyber security posture through continuous, automated simulations.
Secure your attack surface with Intruder
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Tom has 10 years experience managing cyber security products at high growth startups. He has built products for customers ranging from FTSE 100 companies to one person startups. The product he last worked on was acquired for $160m.
Chris has over a decade of experience in cyber security working with the big four consulting and international finance organizations. He has provided counsel on the cybersecurity operations of numerous FTSE 100 companies, as well as blue teams defending critical national infrastructure.
