Textbook in PDF format

Organizations are increasingly vulnerable as attack surfaces grow and cyber threats evolve. Addressing these threats is vital, making attack surface management (ASM) essential for security leaders globally. This practical book provides a comprehensive guide to help you master ASM. Cybersecurity engineers, system administrators, and network administrators will explore key components, from networks and cloud systems to human factors. Authors Ron Eddings and MJ Kaufmann offer actionable solutions for newcomers and experts alike, using Machine Learning and AI techniques. ASM helps you routinely assess digital assets to gain complete insight into vulnerabilities, and potential threats. The process covers all security aspects, from daily operations and threat hunting to vulnerability management and governance. Every cybersecurity professional knows that securing an organization is a constant battle. Attackers innovate as fast—if not faster—than defenders, and keeping up feels like running on a treadmill set to full speed. As digital transformation accelerates, organizations are expanding their IT environments across cloud platforms, SaaS applications, APIs, and mobile devices—yet many struggle to answer a fundamental question: What, exactly, are we trying to protect? This is the challenge of ASM. Organizations know they need it, and security teams understand the risks of unmanaged, unknown, or misconfigured assets. Yet, when faced with the question of “Where do we even begin?” most don’t have an answer. That’s why we wrote this book. ASM is more than a strategy—it's a defense mechanism against growing cyber threats. This guide will help you fortify your digital defense. Part I: Foundations of ASM Before you can manage your attack surface, you need to understand what it is and why it matters. This section establishes the core concepts of ASM, setting the stage for everything that follows. Chapter 1 lays the groundwork, defining attack surface management and explaining how the digital landscape has changed, why traditional security approaches no longer suffice, and why ASM has become essential for modern cybersecurity. Chapter 2 explores the different types of attack surfaces, from traditional IT assets to cloud environments, SaaS applications, APIs, IoT, and third-party dependencies. Understanding the scope of exposure is the first step in securing it. Chapter 3 connects ASM to risk management, outlining how organizations should prioritize threats based on real-world impact rather than blindly chasing every vulnerability. By the end of Part I, you’ll have a strong strategic understanding of ASM and why it must be an integral part of security operations. Part II: Identification and Classification Once you understand the scope of your attack surface, the next step is to find and classify everything that needs protection. This part focuses on visibility—because you can’t protect what you don’t know exists. Chapter 4 covers asset discovery—how organizations identify all their digital assets, whether in on-premises infrastructure, the cloud, or shadow IT. Chapter 5 dives into automation and classification, showing how organizations can move beyond manual asset inventories to scalable, real time attack surface monitoring. By the end of Part II, you’ll know how to map your attack surface comprehensively and categorize assets based on risk, business impact, and exposure. Part III: Prioritization and Remediation Discovery is just the beginning—not every asset carries the same level of risk. Part III focuses on prioritizing vulnerabilities and exposures so that organizations can focus resources where they matter most. Chapter 6 introduces prioritization frameworks, including crown jewel analysis and business context mapping. Instead of treating every vulnerability equally, organizations must focus on what attackers are most likely to target. Chapter 7 provides methods for measuring attack surface exposure, showing how security teams can quantify and track changes over time. Chapter 8 covers remediation strategies, from proactive risk reduction to reactive incident response. It also explains how to validate remediation efforts to ensure security fixes are effective. By the end of Part III, you’ll have a systematic approach to reducing risk efficiently—without getting lost in alert fatigue or low-priority issues. Part IV: Adapting and Monitoring Attack surfaces aren’t static. They expand, contract, and evolve as organizations grow, adopt new technologies, and integrate third-party services. Part IV focuses on long-term attack surface management—how to continuously monitor, adapt, and improve security posture. Chapter 9 examines strategies for minimizing the attack surface—how organizations can design their environments to reduce unnecessary exposure and limit attacker opportunities. Chapter 10 explores continuous monitoring, automation, and AI-driven security strategies. It explains how organizations can set alert thresholds, integrate ASM with incident response, and automate security operations to keep up with ever-changing threats