What is your attack surface — and why it’s growing faster than you think
What is your attack surface — and why it's growing faster than you think
Your attack surface is everything that's exposed to the internet and could be used to breach your systems.
That includes your websites and APIs. But also old subdomains, forgotten SaaS accounts, unsecured databases, exposed ports, and misconfigured cloud services.
And it's growing. Fast.
What exactly is an attack surface?
In security terms, your attack surface is the sum of all entry points an attacker could use to gain access to your systems.
Examples include:
- Public domains and subdomains
- Exposed web apps or APIs
- Forgotten dev or staging environments
- Open ports and services (e.g. FTP, RDP)
- Cloud storage buckets
- Login portals or third-party integrations
- SaaS apps tied to your main domain
If it's online and reachable — it's part of your attack surface.
Why your attack surface is growing
It used to be easy to keep track of your digital assets. But in today's world, most companies face three major challenges:
1. Shadow IT and SaaS sprawl
Employees sign up for tools using their work email. Those tools might be tied to your domain (like tool.yourcompany.com) and stay active even if no one uses them.
2. Cloud scale and speed
Engineering teams spin up new environments in minutes. But they often forget to shut them down. Or worse: they leave them publicly accessible.
3. M&A, remote work, and vendors
Your systems are no longer centralized. Assets live across subsidiaries, cloud accounts, home networks, and vendor platforms.
All of these contribute to an ever-expanding attack surface.
The cost of poor visibility
Most organizations don't know what their full attack surface looks like.
That means they're blind to risks like:
- Forgotten test environments still online
- Publicly accessible storage buckets
- Unprotected APIs
- Outdated software running on exposed servers
All it takes is one.
And attackers are scanning for them constantly.
How Tresal helps
Tresal automatically maps your attack surface from the outside — just like an attacker would.
No setup. No agent. No manual list needed.
With continuous monitoring, you'll:
- Discover assets you didn't know existed
- Get alerted when something new goes online
- Identify exposures before attackers do
- Keep your inventory clean and up to date
Conclusion
Your attack surface is bigger than you think. And it's changing every day.
With Tresal, you can finally see what's exposed — and fix it fast.
Know what's exposed. Before attackers do.
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Matthias
CPO & Cyber Security Enthusiast
CPO bridging product strategy and cybersecurity—sharing insights on secure product design, attack surface awareness, and platform risk management.
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