Attack surface management (ASM) is a critical aspect of modern cybersecurity. It involves identifying, monitoring, and mitigating potential entry points where cyber threats could infiltrate an organization's network. For NVIS AI, effective ASM translates into eliminating the public attack surface, providing secure, fast, and manageable remote access solutions.

What is an Attack Surface?

An attack surface consists of all the points where an unauthorized user could attempt to enter or extract data from an environment. This includes:

• Applications: Web apps, mobile apps, and APIs.

• Websites: All websites hosted by the organization, including public, internal, and e-commerce websites.

• Networks: The Internet, private networks, and cloud networks.

• Devices: Laptops, smartphones, servers, and IoT devices.

• Cloud Infrastructure: Public clouds, private clouds, and hybrid clouds.

These elements collectively represent the various avenues through which an attacker can attempt to compromise an organization's security. As companies adopt more complex IT infrastructures and expand their digital footprints, the attack surface becomes more challenging to manage. This complexity necessitates robust solutions like those offered by NVIS AI.

The importance of attack surface management

Organizations need to secure their digital assets by continuously monitoring and managing their attack surfaces. The more complex and expansive an organization's digital footprint, the more entry points exist for potential attacks. By proactively managing these points, organizations can mitigate the risk of cyberattacks and data breaches.

An effective ASM strategy provides comprehensive visibility into all assets and their vulnerabilities. This visibility is crucial because it allows security teams to prioritize and address the most significant risks promptly. Without such a strategy, unknown or unmanaged assets can become blind spots that attackers exploit.

Challenges in managing the attack surface

With the increasing adoption of cloud services, IoT devices, and remote work policies, managing an organization’s attack surface has become more challenging. Traditional methods like manual audits and infrequent penetration tests are insufficient for keeping up with the fast-paced changes in modern IT environments.

Cloud adoption:

As organizations migrate to the cloud, they often struggle to maintain visibility over their assets. Cloud environments are dynamic, with resources being created and destroyed regularly. This transient nature makes it difficult to maintain an accurate inventory of assets and their security posture.

IoT devices:

The proliferation of IoT devices introduces new entry points for attackers. These devices often lack robust security features and can be easily exploited if not properly managed. Ensuring that all IoT devices are accounted for and secured is a significant challenge for IT teams.

Remote work:

The shift to remote work has expanded the attack surface beyond traditional network boundaries. Employees accessing corporate resources from home or other remote locations introduce new vulnerabilities, such as unsecured home networks and personal devices that may not adhere to corporate security policies.

Third-party integrations:

Organizations increasingly rely on third-party vendors and service providers, which can introduce vulnerabilities if not properly managed. Ensuring that these external partners maintain strong security practices is essential for protecting the organization's attack surface.

NVIS AI's approach to eliminating the public attack surface

NVIS AI offers a solution that goes beyond traditional ASM by completely eliminating the public attack surface. This approach makes remote access invisible to outside attacks, ensures universal connectivity, and maintains high-speed performance. Here’s how NVIS AI achieves this:

No public attack surface

NVIS AI enhances security by not exposing any public IP addresses. This prevents remote access from being blocked, sniffed, or traced. The solution uses end-to-end encryption at Layer 2, effectively hiding the source, destination, and traffic. By eliminating public IP addresses, NVIS AI significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access and cyberattacks.

Fast performance and speed

By connecting network resources directly in a peer-to-peer manner, NVIS AI significantly reduces latency. This ensures that remote users experience performance comparable to or even better than on-premises access. Fast and reliable connectivity is crucial for maintaining productivity and ensuring seamless operations, especially for organizations with distributed workforces.

Easy management

NVIS AI simplifies network management with AI Provisioning, allowing for complex network configurations to be set up within minutes. This process does not require extensive technical skills or changes to existing networks and workflows, reducing the burden on IT teams. Easy management ensures that security policies are consistently applied and that the network remains secure without extensive manual intervention.

Universal connectivity

NVIS AI offers universal connectivity, integrating with any network resource, including Operational Technology (OT) and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. This eliminates issues with VPN blockers and ensures seamless access across various environments. Universal connectivity is essential for organizations with diverse IT ecosystems, enabling them to secure all their assets without compatibility issues.

Benefits of NVIS AI

Organizations adopting NVIS AI can expect several key benefits:

• Increased security: By eliminating the public attack surface, NVIS AI makes remote access invisible to outside attacks. This approach significantly reduces the risk of cyberattacks and ensures that sensitive data remains protected.

• Improved performance: Direct, peer-to-peer connections reduce latency, providing speeds similar to or better than on-premises access. Enhanced performance ensures that remote users can work efficiently without experiencing connectivity issues.

• Simplified management: AI Provisioning allows for quick and easy setup and management without requiring significant technical skills. This reduces the burden on IT teams and ensures that security policies are consistently applied.

• Universal connectivity: NVIS AI supports any network resource globally, ensuring seamless and secure access. This flexibility is crucial for organizations with diverse IT environments, enabling them to secure all their assets effectively.

Implementing NVIS AI

For organizations looking to enhance their cybersecurity posture, implementing NVIS AI involves several straightforward steps:

1. Assessment: Evaluate the current network infrastructure and identify areas for improvement. This assessment helps determine the specific needs of the organization and how NVIS AI can address them.

2. Deployment: Use NVIS AI’s AI Provisioning to set up network configurations quickly and efficiently. The deployment process is designed to be user-friendly, minimizing the need for extensive technical expertise.

3. Integration: Connect all necessary network resources, including OT and IoT devices, ensuring universal connectivity. Integration with existing systems is seamless, allowing organizations to leverage their current infrastructure while enhancing security.

4. Monitoring: Continuously monitor network performance and security to maintain optimal operation and protection. Regular monitoring ensures that any potential issues are identified and addressed promptly, keeping the network secure.

The future of attack surface management with NVIS AI

As cyber threats continue to evolve, organizations must adopt advanced solutions to stay ahead of attackers. NVIS AI represents a significant advancement in attack surface management, providing a comprehensive solution that addresses the limitations of traditional approaches.

Adaptability: NVIS AI's ability to adapt to changing network environments ensures that organizations can maintain robust security as they grow and evolve. This adaptability is crucial for keeping up with the dynamic nature of modern IT infrastructures.

Scalability: The solution's scalability makes it suitable for organizations of all sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises. As the organization expands, NVIS AI can scale to meet its growing security needs without compromising performance.

Conclusion

Effective attack surface management is essential for maintaining a robust cybersecurity posture in today's complex digital landscape. NVIS AI offers a unique solution that eliminates the public attack surface, providing increased security, improved performance, and simplified management. By adopting NVIS AI, organizations can ensure their networks are secure, efficient, and ready to meet the demands of modern IT environments.

To learn more, schedule a demo or contact our team of experts today.