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Attack Surface

The total number of points where an unauthorized user could try to enter data into, or extract data from, an environment.

Security Foundations

An attack surface represents every pathway a threat actor could use to compromise your systems. It spans on-prem infrastructure, cloud assets, SaaS applications, and even third-party vendors.

Why it matters

  • Larger attack surfaces increase the chance of misconfigurations, forgotten assets, and unmanaged accounts.
  • Shadow IT, unused ports, and orphaned cloud services expand exposure without delivering business value.

How to shrink it

  • Keep an authoritative inventory of internet-facing assets.
  • Decommission unused services quickly.
  • Apply network segmentation so one exposed entry point does not compromise everything.
  • Continuously assess configurations against secure baselines.