Elevating Cybersecurity with Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) Programs

Sep 6, 2022 | Industry Insight

In the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, SecureSky introduces the concept of Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM), a forward-thinking approach that extends beyond traditional Managed Detection and Response (MDR) threat-hunting practices.

Transitioning from Traditional Threat Hunting to CTEM

Traditional MDR services have primarily focused on threat hunting, a proactive search for indicators of compromise (IOC) to identify and mitigate malicious activities. This process has evolved from manual investigations to leveraging advanced analytics, machine learning (ML), User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA), and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) technologies, known as "Analytics-Driven" threat hunting.

Further enhancing threat-hunting methodologies, "Intelligence-Driven" and "Situational-Awareness Driven" approaches utilize external data and unique enterprise IT environment assessments, respectively. However, reliance solely on vulnerability assessments presents challenges, including periodic assessments, unaddressed vulnerabilities, and incomplete coverage of an organization's attack surface.

Introducing Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM)

Recognizing these challenges, SecureSky pioneers the CTEM program, recently acknowledged by Gartner as a critical cybersecurity discipline. CTEM embodies a continuous, cross-team process to identify, prioritize, and remediate exposures, offering a comprehensive view of security vulnerabilities beyond traditional tools. This approach includes assessing risks across IaaS, SaaS, and supply chain data, incorporating additional factors like cost data to evaluate the risk of unauthorized or unexpected expenses from cloud services.

Implementing a CTEM Program

A successful CTEM program requires establishing a rapid review cadence for exposures and remediations, fostering cross-team collaboration and operational agility. By expanding the scope of exposure assessments, CTEM enables a more accurate and actionable security posture improvement plan, understandable to all business executives.

The Role of Exposure Hunting in CTEM

Exposure hunting, a core component of CTEM, proactively searches for weaknesses in security controls and policies, utilizing evolving tools and analytics to validate the effectiveness of security measures. This discipline ensures that security controls are not only enabled but are functioning as intended, leading the way in modern cybersecurity practices.

The Impact of CTEM on Cybersecurity

SecureSky's leadership in exposure hunting and managed CTEM has demonstrated significant benefits, including the secure configuration of client environments and a notable reduction in threat volume and alert fatigue for SecOps teams. By prioritizing exposure reduction, SecureSky's clients have experienced over a 50% decrease in related threat volumes, underscoring the effectiveness of the CTEM approach.

Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) represents a paradigm shift in cybersecurity, offering a holistic and proactive approach to managing and mitigating cyber threats. As cybersecurity threats evolve, adopting a CTEM program will be crucial for organizations aiming to enhance their security posture and protect against the ever-changing landscape of cyber risks.

Stay tuned for future insights on leveraging CTEM for visibility into exposures and assessing the risk they pose to your organization.