Vulnerability Management Vs Exposure Management: The Complete Comparison

Let’s talk for a moment about cats and dogs. Both furry friends fall under the category of “pet” and help us humans reduce stress levels and live longer, healthier lives. But anyone who’s owned one knows that’s where the similarities end. Likewise, vulnerability management and exposure management, at first, appear to be very similar processes. But while they share a common goal – reducing an organization’s risk of cyberattack – their methods and tools are quite different.

Vulnerability management is focused on identifying, assessing, and mitigating weaknesses (i.e. vulnerabilities) within an organization’s systems and applications. This means scanning for vulnerabilities, prioritizing them based on their severity and impact, and then implementing remediation measures (patching, configuration changes, etc.). The idea is to strengthen overall security posture by addressing internal weaknesses.

Exposure management, on the other hand, takes a broader perspective. It encompasses the internal perspective of vulnerability management but adds the organization’s external attack surface into the mix. It does this by identifying and prioritizing assets that are exposed to potential threats, understanding how these assets are configured and interconnected, and trying to mitigate risks. 

Both vulnerability management and exposure management are key elements of a comprehensive cybersecurity program. In this blog, we’ll take a deep dive into the differences between them, to help organizations find the right balance.

Backgrounder: What is Vulnerability Management?

Vulnerability management is the systematic process of identifying, evaluating, prioritizing, and mitigating vulnerabilities in an organization’s information systems. It’s a critical process because weaknesses in software, hardware, or procedures can be exploited by cyber attackers to gain unauthorized access or cause harm. 

Vulnerability management starts with thorough scans and assessments of an organization’s digital assets, with the goal of identifying potential vulnerabilities. These scans are usually conducted by automated tools that detect outdated software, misconfigurations, or unpatched systems – all of which could serve as entry points for attackers. 

Once vulnerability management systems identify vulnerabilities, they assess the risk each poses. This assessment takes into account factors like the severity of the vulnerability, the potential impact on the organization if exploited, and the likelihood of an attack occurring. Based on this assessment, vulnerabilities are prioritized – so the most critical can be addressed first.

Next comes the remediation phase. Vulnerability remediation is when security stakeholders implement measures that eliminate or mitigate vulnerabilities. This could include applying patches, updating software, reconfiguring systems, or enhancing security controls. In some cases, compensatory controls can be put in place, if immediate remediation is not feasible. 

Vulnerability management should not be a one-time effort, but rather an ongoing cycle that requires regular updates and reviews. Continuous monitoring is essential in vulnerability management because the vulnerability landscape changes literally minute-by-minute, as new vulnerabilities are discovered and existing vulnerabilities evolve. 

It’s worth noting that effective vulnerability management requires clear communication between IT teams, management, and other stakeholders to make certain that everyone understands both the risks and the actions being taken. Overall, vulnerability management is a critical part of cybersecurity programs – helping organizations significantly reduce their risk of cyberattacks and bolster their security posture.

Backgrounder: What is Exposure Management?

Exposure management is the strategic process of identifying, evaluating, and mitigating the exposure of an organization’s digital assets to cyber threats. Taking a broader view than vulnerability management, which focuses on specific weaknesses within systems, exposure management seeks out and mitigates the risks arising from how an organization’s assets are configured, interconnected, and accessible from the outside world. 

Exposure management starts by cataloging all digital assets, including hardware, software, data, and network components. This inventory helps security teams understand what needs protecting and where the organization might be exposed to potential threats.

Next, exposure management continuously monitors these assets to assess how they are exposed to the outside world. This includes understanding the attack surface – all the points where an attacker could gain access. For example, internet-facing services, open ports, and publicly accessible databases are all parts of an organization’s attack surface. 

Once exposures are identified, exposure management helps organizations take steps to mitigate them. This can include reconfiguring systems, applying access controls, or segmenting networks to limit potential damage from an attack. In some cases, it may also involve removing or isolating assets that are not essential to operations but pose a security risk. And, of course, exposure management requires ongoing review and adjustment as the organization’s digital landscape evolves – as new technologies are adopted, business processes change, and the industry-specific threat landscape shifts.

Vulnerability Management and Exposure Management – Five Steps to Implementation

Both vulnerability management and exposure management are essential processes for maintaining a secure IT environment. The following steps help you identify, assess, and remediate vulnerabilities in your systems, and control your attack surface to reduce the risk of cyberattacks.

Let’s start with a breakdown of the key steps involved in implementing vulnerability management:

1. Asset discovery – Identify and catalog all hardware, software, and network components within the organization.
2. Vulnerability scanning – Use automated tools like vulnerability scanners and security scanners to detect known vulnerabilities in these assets. 
3. Risk assessment – Evaluate the severity and potential impact of identified vulnerabilities.
4. Remediation – Apply patches, update software, reconfigure systems, or implement additional security controls to eliminate or mitigate the identified vulnerabilities.
5. Continuous monitoring – Monitor for new vulnerabilities as they emerge, followed by reassessment and remediation to maintain a secure environment.

And now, in contrast, here are the key steps involved in exposure management:

1. Asset inventory – Create a comprehensive inventory of all digital assets, including configuration and accessibility details. This includes identifying all of your hardware, software, and data assets, as well as understanding how they are interconnected and how they are accessed from external sources.
2. Attack surface mapping – Identify all potential external access points to the organization’s systems. This includes things like public-facing web servers, remote desktop protocols (RDP), and open ports.
3. Continuous monitoring – Monitor for changes in the attack surface, such as new services being exposed to the internet, open ports, or misconfigured settings that increase exposure. This can be done through a variety of methods, such as security information and event management (SIEM) systems and vulnerability scanners.
4. Exposure assessment – Evaluate the potential risks associated with these points of access, taking into account the sensitivity of the data or systems involved and the likelihood of exploitation. 
5. Mitigation – Implement strategies to reduce exposure, such as network segmentation and firewalls. This can involve reducing the number of access points, segmenting the network, or deploying additional security controls like firewalls and intrusion detection systems (IDS).

Choosing the Right Approach: When to Focus on Vulnerability Management Vs Exposure Management

As we’ve seen, vulnerability management and exposure management are distinct but interconnected security disciplines. So, now you may be asking when you should focus on each one.

Vulnerability management is all about identifying, assessing, and mitigating weaknesses within an organization’s systems, applications, and networks. It prioritizes remediation based on vulnerability severity, exploitability, and potential impact, and is essential for strengthening an organization’s overall security posture. 

Exposure management encompasses the bigger picture – considering vulnerability management alongside the organization’s external attack surface. Exposure management prioritizes remediation based on the likelihood and potential impact of a successful attack, considering factors like threat intelligence and business context. 

As summarized in the table below, vulnerability management is crucial for addressing internal weaknesses, while exposure management provides a more holistic approach by evaluating the entire attack surface and prioritizing risks accordingly. 

Where CTEM Comes into the Picture

Any discussion on this topic would be incomplete without mentioning the Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) framework by Gartner. Many solutions aim to address one or more parts of the processes that need to be conducted as part of any Exposure Management program. And since its inception in 2022, CTEM has become the gold standard in enabling the capabilities needed for Exposure Management. 

In itself, CTEM isn’t a solution; as mentioned before, it’s a framework, leveraging 5 stages (Read more about the stages in depth here: Scoping, Discovery, Prioritization Validation, and Mobilization). The holistic and continual approach of CTEM enables organizations to optimally implement Exposure Management, by identifying and remediating potentially problematic areas before attackers can exploit them. And according to Gartner, “By 2026, organizations prioritizing their security investments, based on a continuous threat exposure management program, will realize a two-third reduction in breaches”, (Gartner Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2024: Continuous Threat Exposure Management, 16 October, 2023). CTEM is helping organizations build a proactive, risk-based, and tailored approach to reducing risk that aligns security with business goals.

The Bottom Line

By effectively combining vulnerability management and exposure management, organizations can significantly enhance their cybersecurity posture. Vulnerability management addresses internal weaknesses, while exposure management focuses on external threats. Together, they provide a comprehensive approach to identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks across the entire IT environment. A well-executed strategy requires a clear understanding of the differences between these two disciplines, as well as the ability to prioritize and allocate resources accordingly.