External Asset Inventory
Also known as:
- External Attack Surface Management (EASM)
What problem does it target?
External Asset Inventory solutions address the challenge of discovering, monitoring, and managing an organization’s internet-facing assets and exposures. They help identify unknown, unmanaged, or vulnerable assets that could be targeted by attackers.
What does this solution do?
EASM platforms:
- Continuously scan for internet-facing assets (domains, IPs, cloud resources, apps)
- Identify exposures, misconfigurations, and vulnerabilities
- Monitor for shadow IT and unauthorized changes
- Provide alerts and remediation guidance
Who is this for?
- Security and IT operations teams
- Organizations with a large or dynamic online presence
- Enterprises concerned about external threats and brand risk
Who might not benefit from this?
- Small businesses with minimal online assets
- Teams with complete, manually maintained asset inventories
Pitfalls and remedies
| Pitfall | Remedy |
|---|---|
| Missed assets due to incomplete scanning | Use multiple discovery techniques and data sources |
| Alert fatigue from low-priority findings | Prioritize exposures based on risk and context |
| Integration challenges | Choose EASM with open APIs and reporting features |
Sample products
- Palo Alto Cortex Xpanse
- Randori Recon (IBM)
- CyCognito
- RiskIQ (Microsoft)
- SecurityScorecard EASM