Continuous Threat Exposure Management: A Proactive Cybersecurity Approach

Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) represents a significant shift in cybersecurity strategy, moving beyond the limitations of traditional vulnerability management. In an era where data breaches and ransomware attacks remain prevalent despite substantial cybersecurity investments, CTEM offers a comprehensive approach to proactively identify, prioritize, and mitigate risks while ensuring alignment with business goals and compliance requirements. 

Introduced by Gartner in July 2022, CTEM is a continuous program that evaluates the accessibility, exposure, and exploitability of an organization’s digital and physical assets. Unlike reactive vulnerability management, which focuses on patching known vulnerabilities, CTEM addresses potential threats before they escalate into major security incidents. It employs various tools, such as Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS), attack surface management (ASM), automated pen-testing, and red-teaming, to maintain a proactive defense posture. 

At the core of CTEM is its iterative approach, emphasizing integration, continuous improvement, and communication between security personnel and executives. This alignment ensures that threat mitigation strategies support organizational goals, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of security programs and fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness across the organization. The CTEM process, as defined by Gartner, involves several stages: scoping, discovery, prioritization, validation, and mobilization. Scoping identifies the or

[…]
Content was cut in order to protect the source.Please visit the source for the rest of the article.