Using EASM and Dark Web Monitoring to Identify Vulnerabilities

The use of EASM in an organization

The digital footprint of an organization can be vast, often extending beyond the immediate scope of IT and security teams. Various departments in an organization may use different tools and technology that fly under the radar of security, leaving them open to vulnerabilities if they aren’t being patched or updated. To safeguard against threats and vulnerabilities, many companies are turning to External Attack Surface Management (EASM) and dark web monitoring to gain critical insights into their security posture. Combining these two methods provides a comprehensive view of an organization’s potential vulnerabilities, data leaks, and exposure to cyber threats.

What is EASM?

EASM is a proactive approach to identifying, managing, and securing all digital assets an organization owns, operates, or is responsible for across the internet. Unlike traditional security measures, which are important for known internal systems, EASM broadens the scope to external-facing assets, such as cloud computing, third-party vendors, or forgotten web applications that may be exposed to potential attacks.

EASM tools continuously scan the web to detect:

• Exposed or unpatched applications.
• Misconfigured cloud services.
• Subdomains and assets not implemented by the IT team.
• Third-party vulnerabilities.
• Unencrypted databases.

By identifying all these external touchpoints, EASM helps organizations understand their “attack surface” or the collection of digital assets that attackers might target.

Top three challenges organizations face before using EASM

Before implementing EASM, companies often struggle with a range of challenges tied to the complexity and scale of their digital footprint. One of the biggest issues is limited visibility into the organization’s full attack surface. As companies grow, they frequently acquire more digital assets, many of which may not be actively monitored or even known to the security team. This lack of visibility creates blind spots, where attackers can easily exploit unpatched systems or misconfigured services that fly under the radar.

Another challenge is the difficulty in managing “shadow IT”, which refers to the technology or software within an organization without IT approval. Employees may spin up cloud instances, adopt SaaS tools, or create subdomains for specific projects without the knowledge of the security team. These unknown assets can significantly increase the attack surface, leaving security teams unaware of potential vulnerabilities, while attackers can easily spot and exploit these gaps.

Additionally, companies without EASM often face challenges with ineffective risk prioritization. Without a clear understanding of which external assets are exposed or at risk, it becomes difficult to prioritize security efforts. This leads to a reactive approach to cybersecurity, where teams focus on threats only after they’ve become apparent, such as after a data breach or cyberattack. In this situation, security resources are often wasted addressing low-priority issues, while critical vulnerabilities remain overlooked.

Lastly, managing third-party risk is a major challenge. Many organizations rely heavily on vendors and partners, but they have limited insight into how secure these third-party systems are. Without EASM, companies often struggle to track the security posture of external vendors that may have access to sensitive data or integrate with their infrastructure, leading to potential exposure points outside the organization’s direct control.

How EASM and dark web monitoring work together

When EASM and dark web monitoring are combined, they provide a powerful dual approach to security. EASM identifies the potential weaknesses in an organization’s digital infrastructure that could lead to a data breach. Dark web monitoring, on the other hand, alerts the organization when compromised information or early indicators of an attack on the assets discovered by EASM appear in the criminal underworld.

How the combination works:

Comprehensive threat visibility
EASM gives visibility into known and unknown assets, which may include forgotten servers, abandoned websites, or third-party applications. These overlooked assets often become low-hanging fruit for attackers. Simultaneously dark web monitoring reveals if any of the exposed assets have been exploited, such as credentials being traded or vulnerabilities being discussed on hacking forums.

Proactive defense
With EASM highlighting where vulnerabilities exist, companies can prioritize patching and securing those areas before they’re targeted. Dark web monitoring can provide additional context by revealing whether these vulnerabilities are actively being sought after by attackers, allowing security teams to prioritize patches and security efforts more effectively.

Immediate action and data leaks
If an organization’s credentials or sensitive data are found on the dark web, EASM helps trace the potential source of the leak by identifying exposed systems, misconfigurations, or breaches in connected third-party vendors. This two-pronged approach enables organizations to pinpoint and secure the original vulnerability faster.

Monitoring ongoing threats
Dark web monitoring doesn’t just alert an organization when data is already compromised, it also allows security teams to keep tabs on evolving threats, including new hacking tools or techniques that are being discussed in relation to specific vulnerabilities. When combined with EASM, companies can assess whether they are at risk from such threats based on the security of their external attack surface.

What can EASM and dark web monitoring identify about your organization?

Now we know how they work together and provide an insight into security vulnerabilities, what can those vulnerabilities uncover?

Unpatched and exposed systems with threat indicators
An organization may discover an exposed web application is running a version of software with a known vulnerability. Dark web monitoring could show that this particular vulnerability is being targeted by threat actors in hacking forums, alerting the company to prioritize patching it immediately.

Leaked credentials and related exposed assets
The company might find, through dark web monitoring, that employee credentials have been leaked. Using EASM, they can then determine which of their publicly accessible systems are vulnerable to unauthorized access using those credentials.

Exposed third-party vendors and associated threats
If dark web monitoring detects leaked data from a third-party cloud provider used by the organization, EASM can assist in checking which systems are connected to that provider and whether any data or systems have been exposed through the third-party’s vulnerability.

Attack surface expansion with targeted threats
As an organization grows and launches new services, EASM detects newly created public subdomains or open databases. At the same time, dark web monitoring may pick up on discussions among cybercriminals about launching a phishing campaign against the organization, targeting those new assets. By combining these insights, the organization can proactively defend these new touchpoints and educate employees on phishing risks.

Early detection of ransomware campaigns targeting vulnerable systems
If dark web monitoring detects that a ransomware group is planning attacks on companies in the healthcare industry for example, using a vulnerability in a specific type of server, using EASM allows the organization to identify if they have any of those servers exposed externally, giving them time to patch them and avoid becoming a target.

Why EASM and dark web monitoring work together

By using EASM and dark web monitoring together, organizations can uncover a wide range of valuable information about their security posture and potential threats. EASM reveals what is exposed, providing a comprehensive view of an organization’s external assets, while dark web monitoring reveals who is targeting those assets and how they may be exploited. This combination enables organizations to not only identify risks, but also respond more effectively.