Did you know 83% of cyberattacks in 2023 were linked to security gaps in an organization’s perimeter? That means attackers aren’t breaking in with sophisticated techniques. They’re walking through open doors left unnoticed by IT teams.
Every unused application, misconfigured cloud setting, and forgotten endpoint is an opportunity for an attacker. The bigger your attack surface, the greater the risk. IT teams already juggle patching, monitoring, and compliance, but can they realistically shrink an attack surface on their own?
The truth is, reducing an attack surface isn’t just about finding risks – it’s about eliminating them. It takes the right mix of tools, strategy, and constant oversight to make a real impact.
In this article, we break down five practical steps IT teams can take to reduce their attack surface. These steps go a long way, but there’s a point where internal efforts hit a wall.
That’s when organizations must ask: Do we have what it takes to manage this ourselves, or do we need expert intervention? But before we get to that point, let’s look at these steps.
1. Conduct a Comprehensive Asset Inventory
You can’t reduce your attack surface if you don’t know what’s on it. But here’s the reality – most organizations don’t
Shadow IT, forgotten cloud instances, misconfigured SaaS tools—all of these contribute to an expanding attack surface. A 2023 study found that 69% of organizations have unknown or unmanaged assets connected to their networks. Each of those assets is a potential entry point for attackers.
While security teams try to track assets manually, it’s like chasing a moving target. New cloud workloads are deployed everyday, employees sign up for SaaS tools without IT approval, and third-party integrations expand without oversight. Without a real-time asset inventory, gaps will always reappear.
So, where do you start? The first step in attack surface reduction is visibility. Here’s what you can do:
- Identify all external-facing assets – This includes cloud instances, SaaS tools, remote endpoints, exposed APIs, and third-party integrations.
- Automate discovery – Attackers find your weaknesses before you do. Use attack surface management tools like Tenable.asm, Microsoft Defender EASM, and Rapid7 to continuously scan for assets you don’t even know exist.
- Shut down unnecessary systems – If you’re not using a server, application, or service, eliminate it. Reducing unused assets is one of the fastest ways to shrink your attack surface.
- Set up alerts for new exposures – Discovering assets once is not enough. Organizations must ensure new, unapproved assets don’t slip through. Tools like Expanse by Palo Alto Networks and Censys Attack Surface Management can send alerts when new assets appear in an environment.
Taking control of asset visibility is crucial. However, manual efforts are not enough. As new assets spin up daily, without continuous asset tracking, gaps will reappear. Even with automation, staying ahead of asset sprawl is tough. The more an organization grows, the harder it becomes to maintain control.
Recommended Read: For a deeper dive into how organizations can identify, monitor, and secure their attack surfaces, download our free eBook on 10 Essential Use Cases for Attack Surface Management below.
2. Prioritize Vulnerabilities Based on Risk
Not every vulnerability needs immediate attention. But without a clear system for prioritization, IT teams waste time patching low-risk flaws while critical threats remain open.
A 2023 study found that over 29,000 critical and high-risk vulnerabilities were discovered across 1400 enterprise applications. No IT team can patch everything at once. The key to effective attack surface reduction is focusing on what matters most.
So, where do you start?
- Classify vulnerabilities by risk level – Not all weaknesses are equally dangerous. Prioritize vulnerabilities based on exploitability, asset exposure, and business impact.
- Leverage risk-based vulnerability management tools – Solutions like Qualys, Tenable, and Rapid7 assess real-world exploitability and help teams focus on high-risk vulnerabilities first.
- Patch strategically – A low-severity vulnerability on an external-facing system is often riskier than a high-severity flaw in an isolated environment. Fix what reduces the attack surface, not just what looks critical on paper.
- Automate where possible – Manual patching is inefficient. Tools like Microsoft Defender Threat Intelligence and Palo Alto Cortex Xpanse help identify and remediate vulnerabilities faster.
Taking control of vulnerability prioritization is essential. But manual efforts can only go so far. Threat landscapes evolve daily, and without continuous prioritization, IT teams fall behind, leaving critical gaps open.
3. Implement Robust Access Controls
Even the most secure system is useless if the wrong people have access. Weak access control remains one of the biggest attack surface risks, allowing attackers to bypass security defenses without needing an exploit.
According to IBM, privileged access misuse accounted for majority of breaches. When employees have more access than they need, or when credentials are left exposed, an organization’s attack surface expands significantly.
Here’s what you can do:
- Apply the Principle of Least Privilege – Restrict user access to only what’s necessary for their roles. Admin privileges should be limited, monitored, and revoked when no longer needed.
- Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication – Passwords alone aren’t enough. MFA ensures that even if credentials are stolen, attackers can’t easily gain access.
- Regularly audit user permissions – Over time, employees change roles, leave companies, or gain unnecessary access. Quarterly access reviews prevent old accounts from becoming security risks.
- Monitor and log access activities – Tools like Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, and CyberArk provide real-time access monitoring and automated privilege escalation control.
Taking control of access permissions is a direct way to reduce your attack surface. But mismanaged access is one of the hardest security gaps to detect. Without continuous monitoring and proactive enforcement, privileged accounts can become an attacker’s easiest entry point.
Did you know that The Zero Trust security model takes access control a step further –it assumes no trust by default. However, Zero Trust isn’t just a security setting. It requires full organizational buy-in and expert implementation. We can help you with implementing Zero trust in your enterprise network. For more information, click here.
4. Regularly Update and Patch Systems
Unpatched vulnerabilities are the number one way attackers breach networks, often using exploits that have been public for months or years. According to a study, 60% of breaches involved known vulnerabilities that had patches available. The longer a vulnerability remains open, the higher the chance it gets exploited. Here’s how you can address it:
- Prioritize critical patches – Not all updates are urgent, but patching externally facing and high-risk systems should come first.
- Automate patch management – Tools like Microsoft SCCM, Qualys, and Rapid7 help IT teams automatically detect and apply security patches without manual oversight.
- Test before deployment – Patching shouldn’t break business operations. Use staging environments to test updates before rolling them out to production systems.
- Monitor for patch failures – Some patches fail to install correctly, leaving vulnerabilities exposed. IT teams should use endpoint detection and response tools to verify patch success.
But with thousands of new vulnerabilities reported each year, patching everything isn’t realistic. IT teams must balance security with operational stability, ensuring updates don’t disrupt business processes.
5. Educate and Train Employees
Even the most advanced security measures can be undone by one wrong click. Phishing attacks, credential theft, and social engineering remain the easiest ways for attackers to bypass security controls.
In fact, 68% of breaches involve a human element—whether through phishing, weak passwords, or misconfigurations. Security tools can only do so much.
Employee awareness is truly the last line of defense. Here’s everything you can do:
- Run regular phishing simulations – Employees must be trained to recognize realistic attack scenarios. Platforms like KnowBe4 and Cofense help simulate phishing attempts to test awareness.
- Enforce strong password policies – Weak passwords expose organizations to credential stuffing and brute force attacks. Implement password managers and enforce MFA for all users.
- Provide continuous security awareness training – Cyber threats evolve constantly. Conduct quarterly training sessions covering the latest attack techniques and security best practices.
- Encourage a security-first culture – Employees should feel empowered to report suspicious activity without fear of blame. A strong security culture reduces human errors.
That said, even with training and awareness, mistakes happen. Without ongoing education and reinforcement, security awareness can fade over time. Being proactive is definitely critical here.
Now that we have addressed the five critical steps to reducing your attack surface, it ought to be mentioned that security is never a one-time effort. That is why expert-driven attack surface reduction services remain essential for long-term protection.
Why Datacipher is the Right Partner for Attack Surface Reduction?
Reducing an attack surface isn’t a one-time fix – it’s an ongoing battle. New vulnerabilities emerge daily, assets change, and attack methods evolve. IT teams can take proactive steps, but the reality is, staying ahead requires more than in-house resources alone.
That’s where Datacipher comes in. As a leading attack surface reduction company, Datacipher helps organizations go beyond basic security measures and achieve real, measurable risk reduction.
Here are a few reasons why you should choose Datacipher:
Comprehensive Security Solutions – From asset discovery and risk-based vulnerability management to penetration testing and breach simulations, Datacipher offers end-to-end attack surface reduction services.
Expert-Led Risk Prioritization – Not every vulnerability is critical. Datacipher’s team uses advanced threat intelligence to identify and mitigate high-risk attack vectors first.
Continuous Monitoring & Automation – Attack surfaces expand constantly. Datacipher helps track, analyze, and reduce risks in real time with industry-leading security tools.
Compliance-Driven Security – Whether it’s GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or NIST, Datacipher ensures your security program aligns with regulatory requirements.
Tailored Security Programs – Every business is different. Datacipher customizes its security approach to fit your infrastructure, industry, and risk profile.
Reducing your attack surface is not just about preventing breaches; it’s about making your organization a harder target. The question isn’t whether you’ll be targeted; it’s whether you’re prepared. Are you ready to eliminate vulnerabilities before they become threats? Schedule a consultation with Datacipher today so we can together reduce your organization’s attack surface.
Frequently Asked Questions
#1. What are the most common attack surface risks organizations face?
The biggest risks come from unmanaged assets, misconfigurations, exposed credentials, and third-party integrations. Shadow IT and abandoned cloud services also create attack vectors. Without continuous monitoring, organizations leave gaps that attackers can exploit.
#2. Can IT teams handle attack surface reduction on their own?
IT teams can take basic steps like tracking assets, enforcing access controls, and patching vulnerabilities. But staying ahead of evolving threats requires expert-driven analysis, automation, and continuous risk assessments.
#3. How often should organizations assess and reduce their attack surface?
Attack surface reduction isn’t a one-time task. Organizations should continuously monitor and reassess their security posture. However, formal attack surface evaluations should happen quarterly or whenever major IT changes occur (new cloud deployments, mergers, or system expansions).
#4. What’s the biggest mistake organizations make when trying to reduce their attack surface?
Focusing only on patching vulnerabilities while ignoring misconfigurations, excessive user access, and abandoned assets. Attackers exploit the weakest link, and security gaps aren’t always obvious. True attack surface reduction requires a proactive, strategic approach.
#5. How does attack surface reduction help with compliance and regulatory requirements?
Regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and NIST require strict asset control, continuous monitoring, and risk management. Attack surface reduction ensures organizations stay compliant, avoid fines, and protect sensitive data by eliminating high-risk exposures before they become violations.
#6. How does Datacipher’s attack surface reduction service stand out from others?
Datacipher goes beyond basic attack surface monitoring by offering real-time risk prioritization, proactive mitigation, and continuous security assessments. With expert-driven insights and automation, Datacipher helps businesses reduce exposure, meet compliance, and stay ahead of emerging threats.
