Discovery in Continuous Threat Exposure Management: CTEM Process - Part 3

Welcome to the next chapter in our exploration of Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM).

In Part 1, we discussed what CTEM is and why we need it.

In Part 2, we focus on the process's cornerstone: scoping.

Steps in Discovery:

The Discovery Process in CTEM serves as the bridge between scoping and prioritization.

After the scoping phase, we have all the information we need to start finding threats, where discovery helps us identify and classify assets, vulnerabilities, and potential threats.

The discovery process may contain:

• Web applications scanning
• Mobile app security (especially endpoint security)
• Misconfigurations
• File integrity monitoring
• Network mapping and vulnerability detection
• Port scanning
• Supply chain security,
• Versioning and patch management systems
• Logical vulnerabilities,
• Any potential weaknesses in the infrastructure

With the help of discovery, we can obtain insights into the organization's digital terrain and identify any potential risks or threats.

What Makes Discover Steps so Crucial?

The CTEM process is designed to be continuous, meaning that it is an ongoing and iterative process.

In Discover steps, a proper continuous threat exposure management process gives organization comprehensive insights, risk identitication, proactive defence, a part of change management, efficient resource allocation and more.

Imagine an organization that do not use a continuous threat exposure management process.

These are a very comman sceneiroa for each organizatsion wheter it's a simple or complex IT infrastructure.

• A forggetten debug, config or information file after deployment of any app.
• Temporary firewall rule changes
• Using of a weak password or unchanged default credentials
• Newly published vulnerabilities related to assets
• A new web page contains vulnerable user input

Without continuous threat exposure management, these issues can easily go unnoticed and cause potential security breaches. A proper discovery process after scoping must be performed to identify such issues and take necessary actions to mitigate the risks.

What is more in Discover step?

Apart from identifying potential risks and threats, the Discover step also helps in understanding the organization's SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) usage. This is important as many organizations are now moving towards using cloud-based services, and it is essential to monitor and manage these services effectively. The Discover step also helps in identifying any potential vulnerabilities or misconfigurations in the SaaS applications used by the organization.

Through continuous discovery, organizations can maintain a secure and compliant environment by keeping track of any changes in their IT infrastructure and addressing them promptly. It also allows for efficient resource allocation by identifying any unused or unnecessary applications, helping organizations save costs and reduce risk exposure.