What is Attack Surface?
The term ‘attack surface’ outlines the aspects of a system, device, or network that contain security weaknesses open to exploitation. The attack surface can vary widely across a company’s computing systems and devices, influenced by their functions and configurations. It’s important to note that this should not be mixed up with the notion of ‘attack surface in ethical hacking,’ which pertains to the risk stemming from flaws in an operating system or application running on a device.
Understanding Attack Surface
In practical terms, this concept helps determine whether a device is susceptible to recognized or hidden attack vectors, including an analysis of the operating system that an aggressor might leverage.
For instance, if a company’s IT setup utilizes the Linux operating system for its email operations, it could be at risk from an exploit that takes advantage of the shell shock vulnerability. Moreover, attack surfaces can assist in identifying weaknesses in non-operating system applications and hardware like switches and routers, although these can be more challenging to address.
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