Why Attack Surface Management is Essential for Your Business’ Cyber Risk Strategy

The expanding edge of risk: Understanding Attack Surface Management  

Your business’ digital attack surface includes every internet-facing asset connected to your organization — from websites and VPNs to cloud services, remote access portals, shadow IT and even third-party vendor platforms, explains Jack Brooks, Head of BOXX Hackbusters® and vCISO. 

“These are the ‘digital doorways’ cyber criminals are constantly probing for weaknesses,” he adds. 

And these doorways are constantly growing. 

Remote work, connected devices and cloud usage have dramatically expanded what’s visible — and exponentially vulnerable — online. 

In fact, 90% of organizations have seen an increase in impactful attack surface incidents. Smaller businesses experienced 60% more severe incidents than larger ones, with breaches often causing deeper operational disruption, greater financial loss and longer recovery times. 

“But traditional endpoint detection tools don’t catch these exposures,” Brooks explains. “They sit outside the firewall, invisible to many IT and cyber security teams. This leaves small businesses, who often don’t have full-scale security teams, particularly vulnerable.” 

That’s where cyber insurance is evolving to step up with modern Attack Surface Management platforms. ASM helps businesses continuously identify, monitor and secure their assets — both internal and external — to detect potential vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. 

“BOXX’s ASM tool is designed to help organizations map their digital footprint, flag misconfigured cloud storage and identify outdated or unpatched web applications — all before those exposures become entry points,” adds Brooks. 

From mapping to managing: See what hackers see, act before they strike 

Globally, over 35 billion records were breached across 9,478 publicly disclosed incidents in 2024. Many of those started with a simple vulnerability — a forgotten server, an open port, a misconfigured platform. 

Most of those vulnerabilities were unintentional. And most could have been prevented. 

“From orphaned tech to forgotten configurations or VPNs — most business don’t realize the trail of exposures they leave online. It only takes one entry point to trigger a breach,” Brooks says. “Traditional security measures often fail to account for assets outside the immediate network, leaving organizations blind to external threats.” 

Conversely, modern Attack Service Management tools go beyond surface-level scans. They leverage robotic process automation and smart data correlation to comb through the unstructured chaos of public information online — surfacing the vulnerabilities that matter. 

BOXX, for instance, uses ASM technology to simulate what cyber criminals can see when they scan a business. From firewall types to login portals, their tools alert clients to risks before attackers can exploit them. 

“We’re essentially seeing what hackers see, and that’s where real cyber preparedness begins,” says Brooks. 

“But visibility is only the first step. The real challenge lies in managing what we find. Once uncovered, organizations must act — patching outdated software, disabling unused services, and updating vulnerable platforms. BOXX’s experts can help with that.” 

Context Is king: Why intelligence must meet human insight 

An automated raw scan might return a dozen — or a hundred — alerts. But how do you know what’s critical? 

When it comes to analyzing ASM data, context becomes everything. Brooks says a thoughtful ASM strategy should answer: 

• Which vulnerabilities are real threats to my business?
• Which systems are actually active? 
• What can attackers exploit most easily? 

“The most effective cyber insurance and security providers don’t just hand over a list. They help businesses make sense of it,” says Brooks. “BOXX’s approach combines intelligent scanning with human analysis and vCISO consultations. We give our clients guided insight into what’s urgent and what’s just digital noise, so they can prioritize and act confidently.”

Your supply chain: The hidden surface 

As cyber criminals grow more strategic and sophisticated, they increasingly target your vendors and supply chain, which can be equally as devastating. 

 That’s because they know that third parties are often a business’ weakest link – and it’s a risk that’s growing fast. 

Supply chain cyber attacks surged by 431% between 2021 and 2023. In 2024, nearly half of organizations worldwide suffered a third-party cyber attack or data breach. 

In our interconnected economy, a single vendor’s security weakness can bring down an entire operation — and that includes yours.  

Yet most businesses have limited visibility into their supply chain’s cyber hygiene, explains Jardine. 

“Supply chain ASM is a leading-edge capability that cyber insurers are beginning to explore. BOXX understands the risks posed in a SME’s supply chain – and not only do we insure our clients against this type of risk, we give them the ability to monitor it and score it directly within Cyberboxx® Assist,” Jardine says. 

This is where BOXX leads the pack. Their ASM platform enables clients to add vendors directly to their dashboard, view vendor cyber risk scores and monitor the cyber security posture of third parties in their supply chain in real-time — helping businesses make informed choices, reduce systemic exposure and stay one step ahead of surface threats throughout their entire supply chain. 

 “Who or what causes your business to fail, may not always be a cyber criminal. Sometimes your best supplier, who perhaps doesn’t take cyber security seriously, is your biggest risk. That’s why it’s so critical to know about that in advance,” advises Jardine.

Rethinking the role of cyber insurance 

Traditional cyber insurance reacts to breaches — it’s a safety net. But forward-thinking providers are flipping that model to a prevention-first approach, embedding cyber security services that help businesses mitigate 80% of incidents and preventing them from becoming claims. 

With the global ASM market projected to grow from $1.03 billion in 2025 to $4.29 billion by 2032 – it’s essential for businesses to invest in Attack Surface Management as a key part of their cyber security strategy – not just as a compliance checkbox, but as a proactive defence. 

Cyber insurers like BOXX are leading this evolution by integrating ASM directly into the client experience through Cyberboxx® Assist. Businesses can log in, run self-scans, view their exposures, monitor supply chain risks and even contact expert security advisors –BOXX Hackbusters breach response team – for support, all without filing a claim or waiting for an incident.   

With Cyberboxx Assist for Business, businesses get all the essential tools, resources and support for the robust cyber resilience that’s needed today. Core features include: 

• Access to a vCISO) Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) giving your business the expert advice and support you need to strengthen your cyber security defences. 
• Dark Web Monitoring that proactively listens to ‘hacker chatter’ about clients’ vulnerabilities to reduce the risk of a breach before it happens.  
• Personalized risk assessments & compliance tools. 

“BOXX’s approach is about comprehensive cyber protection that goes beyond insurance to help businesses predict, prevent, respond and recover from evolving cyber threats. We want to put control back into a business’ hands and give them peace of mind knowing they’re not alone – we’re here to help,” Brooks says. 

Cyber resilience starts at the surface 

The most sophisticated cyber attacks often begin with the most obvious exposures. But do you know what those are? 

 As our digital world grows more interconnected and complex, your business’ attack surface expands — and so do the risks. 

Attack Surface Management is no longer optional. It’s a foundational pillar of a comprehensive cyber insurance and security strategy. It empowers businesses to take control, detect threats before they escalate, and safeguard not just their operations — but their entire supply chain.

Working with a cyber insurer who understands that prevention is better than loss, enables you to embrace a 360-view of cyber risk – including those blind spots cyber criminals can see.