An attack surface is every possible avenue through which an attacker could compromise systems or leak organizational assets. Reducing it is an ongoing responsibility: new services, releases, devices, and connections can change the exposure. section 12.6.1 section 12.0
Manage the attack surface by making exposure visible and limiting unnecessary pathways:
- Inventory systems and interfaces, treating every network-connected device as a potential threat, even when it appears benign. section 12.1.3
- Separate production and development environments from back-office networks to prevent unknown devices from extending access. section 12.1.3 section 12.6.1
- Replace shared database credentials with individual accounts so access can be limited and activity attributed. section 12.6.1
- Reevaluate defenses whenever a release is deployed or a service is introduced, rather than treating the assessment as a one-time exercise. section 12.6.1 section 12.0
A small change with a significant effect
A company runs production servers in the same network space as development servers and gives too many people access. Isolating production and assigning personal database credentials reduce exposure without requiring a sweeping transformation. section 12.6.1
