10 Best Attack Surface Management (ASM) Tools for FinTech Companies

Challenges continue to emerge as FinTech businesses grow. Special considerations must be taken with APIs, cloud services, inter-company integration, and other exposed and accessible online resources.

The Best Attack Surface Management (ASM) Tools for FinTech Companies costs justify themselves by providing organizations with the means to secure presence across APIs.

These tools support the stable operation of (real-time) risk-prone assets and provide financial institutions with the means to maintain security and compliance and defend sensitive financial and personal client data.

Key Point & ASM Tool

ASM Tool	Key Point for FinTech Companies
Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse	Continuously discovers internet-facing assets and identifies exposed services, shadow IT, and security risks in real time.
Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management	Maps external digital assets and helps financial institutions detect unknown or unmanaged internet-facing resources.
CrowdStrike Falcon Exposure Management	Provides unified visibility across external and internal attack surfaces with risk-based prioritization.
Rapid7 InsightVM	Combines vulnerability management and attack surface monitoring to reduce exploitable risks.
Tenable Attack Surface Management	Continuously discovers external assets and uncovers unknown systems that could become attack vectors.
IBM Randori Recon	Simulates attacker reconnaissance techniques to identify high-value targets and exposure points.
Bitsight External Attack Surface Management	Monitors external assets and third-party risks while providing security ratings and exposure insights.
UpGuard Attack Surface Management	Tracks external assets, detects misconfigurations, and monitors vendor-related security risks.
Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management	Automatically inventories internet-facing assets and highlights vulnerabilities affecting financial environments.
CyCognito	Uses attacker-centric discovery to find hidden assets, exposed applications, and exploitable weaknesses.

1. Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse

Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse is one of the Best Attack Surface Management (ASM) Tools for FinTech Companies because of its ability to discover internet-facing assets and gives organizations the ability to see which systems are exposed in real time.

The platform captures shadow IT and other resources that increase an organization’s attack surface, including unmanaged cloud resources, forgotten domains, and vulnerable applications. This is beneficial for FinTech organizations as it allows them to create a complete inventory of their digital assets and promotes reduction of security blind spots.

The solution utilizes smart analytics to evaluate and prioritize risks on their potential business impact. Security teams are empowered to identify exposed services, misconfigurations, and unauthorized assets before they are evaded and exploited by threat actors.

Cortex Xpanse offers integrations with other security operations for faster remediation and ongoing operational security. For FinTech organizations that process sensitive financial information, the platform improves on the defense posture and provides advanced threat and risk security management.

Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse Key Features

1. External asset discovery in real-time
2. Shadow IT identification
3. Attack Surface Continuous Monitoring
4. Risk-based alerting
5. Part of the Palo Alto security ecosystem

Pros

1. Great visibility of everything out in the internet
2. Automated asset discovery
3. Threat intelligence is sophisticated
4. Easy identification of exposed services

Cons

1. Small businesses may find the cost difficult to accommodate
2. Complex for a first-time deploy
3. Needs a specific level of security knowledge to fully use
4. The best value is in the Palo Alto environments

2. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management

Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management ranks highly among the Best Attack Surface Management (ASM) Tools for FinTech Companies because it constantly uncovers and maps internet-facing assets in dynamic environments.

It repeatedly inspects domains, cloud services, web applications, and the enterprise digital infrastructure to find unmanaged services and hidden exposures. This facilitates knowledge of what external threat actors can see in an organization for financial institutions.

Leveraging Microsoft’s expansive threat intelligence, the platform identifies threats and weaknesses before they escalate to a more serious concern. Security teams are offered more targeted insights that assist them in prioritizing exposure and remediation.

Microsoft security ecosystem integration streamlines incident response and operational workflows. For FinTech companies, this external visibility helps satisfy regulatory obligations, lessens risk, and enables a higher degree of protection against cyber threats.

Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management Key Features

1. Mapping and discovering external assets
2. Continuous exposure assessment
3. Microsoft threat intelligence
4. Risk-based vulnerability insights
5. Integrated security dashboard

Pros

1. Great integration with Microsoft security services
2. Complete external visibility
3. Robust cloud-native design
4. Great asset inventory services

Cons

1. Best use is for a complete Microsoft environment
2. Significant learning time to master the more useful features
3. Difficult to fully utilize when not in the Microsoft environment
4. Getting set up can be pricey

3. CrowdStrike Falcon Exposure Management

CrowdStrike Falcon Exposure Management is among the Best Attack Surface Management (ASM) Tools for FinTech Companies for several reasons; namely its visibility of the attack surface combined with exposure and related risk.

The platform also identifies all company assets that are either internal or external, and helps identify threat paths, and attack surface and gaps (both configuration and security). This is critical in threat analysis and for the protection of financial systems.

This advanced platform does not just list threats and gaps; it analyzes the threat and gaps and prioritizes them in the context of business risk and exposure. Unifying all the external assets, endpoints, and cloud resources through the Falcon platform, shows that the attack surface is not as fragmented and minimizes the threat.

This is also beneficial to FinTech firms in the ongoing strengthening of security operations and decreases the likelihood of a successful cyber-attack.

CrowdStrike Falcon Exposure Management Key Features:

1. Exposure management
2. Unified visibility for internal and external assets
3. Risk-based exposure
4. Attack path assessment
5. Falcon platform integration

Pros

1. Threat intelligence is great
2. Exposure prioritization is phenomenal
3. Modern and sophisticated platform
4. Great for organizations who utilize Falcon

Cons

1. Costs can be a thorn in your side
2. Features can be limited and require multiple add-on purchases
3. Can flood users with alerts
4. Rapid7 InsightVM

4. Rapid7 InsightVM

Rapid7 InsightVM is one of the Best Attack Surface Management (ASM) Tools for FinTech Companies because of its continuous asset discovery and vulnerability management. It enables organizations to discover which systems are exposed, manage their vulnerabilities, and evaluate the security risks present in their networks and cloud environments. With its real-time insight, security teams have knowledge of anything that may expand the organization’s attack surface.

With a focus on risk, InsightVM helps organizations understand which vulnerabilities to address first by providing the likelihood that a vulnerability will be exploited and the potential impact of such an event. InsightVM’s extensive dashboards and reporting allow security teams to optimize their decisions and show evidence of their compliance.

Rapid7 InsightVM streamlines the remediation process by integrating with security workflows. For FinTech firms, the tool provides a unique opportunity to manage vulnerabilities while protecting important financial resources.

Key Features

• Continuous vulnerability assessment
• Dynamic asset discovery
• Risk-based vulnerability scoring
• Remediation tracking
• Compliance reporting

Pros

• Strong vulnerability management
• Comprehensive reporting
• Thorough dashboards
• Good compliance
• Effective risk prioritization

Cons

• Complex interface for some users
• Tuning required for large deployments
• Asset scans may impact performance
• Pricing not great for small businesses

5. Tenable Attack Surface Management

Tenable Attack Surface Management ranks high among the Best Attack Surface Management (ASM) Tools for FinTech Companies because of its ability to continuously discover externally facing assets and pinpoint hidden exposures. It automatically constructs an organization’s digital footprint by mapping all domains, IP addresses, and web apps, as well as all cloud resources, giving security teams the ability to discover previously unknown assets.

Combining attack surface visibility with Tenable’s vulnerability management capabilities helps the platform surface risks at a business-critical level. Continuous exposure monitoring means organizations understand risks from new system changes.

The solution also aids compliance through its assurance of up-to-date asset inventories. Tenable ASM also helps FinTech organizations manage security and reduce risk through increased visibility.

Key Features

• External asset discovery
• Continuous attack surface monitoring
• Vulnerability intelligence
• Cloud asset visibility
• Risk-based exposure

Pros

• Strong asset discovery
• Excellent vulnerability insights
• Continuous monitoring
• Strong reputation in cybersecurity

Cons

• Advanced features increase costs
• Initial setup takes a long time
• Limited reporting customization
• Active management for optimal results

6. IBM Randori Recon

IBM Randori Recon is one of the Best Attack Surface Management (ASM) Tools for FinTech Companies because its unique sell point is a security solution that thinks like an attacker. The platform will always discover externally available assets and will figure out which of the systems are the most probable targets. Thinking like an attacker helps the organization understand its exposure and its weaknesses.

Randori Recon ratings are based on the appeal of the asset, how easy it is to attack, and the effect of a successful attack. This helps prioritize which risks to defend against first. The platform’s focus is on remaining one step ahead of adversarial attacks. Ever evolving defenses help FinTech Companies incorporate more confidence into their cybersecurity strategy.

Key Features

• Attacker view asset discovery
• External attack surface monitoring
• Target attractiveness scoring
• Exposure prioritization
• Continuous reconnaissance

Pros

• Attacker view is a common methodology
• Quick measurement of high risk assets
• Threat intelligence is a bonus
• Monitoring is continuous

Cons

• Less known to some security teams
• Premium enterprise pricing
• Skilled analysts required for full value
• Smaller ecosystem than some competitors

7. Bitsight External Attack Surface Management

Bitsight External Attack Surface Management is one of the Best Attack Surface Management (ASM) Tools for FinTech Companies for its ability to look far and deep into assets that are exposed on the internet and into the risks posed by third parties. The platform will continuously check your domains, cloud, apps, and services in order to detect possible security exposure, providing a comprehensive coverage that is extremely beneficial for the financial organization.

This solution integrates attack surface monitoring, cybersecurity ratings, and risk intelligence. It enables security teams to analyze the weaknesses and risk exposures related to vendors and prioritize remediation based on impact.

Automated threat discovery and perpetual monitoring empower organizations to stay one step ahead of the threats. For FinTech companies, Bitsight enables security leaders to enhance security governance and promotes effective risk-based decisions for both internal and external threats.

Key Features

1. External asset discovery
2. Rating and scoring security
3. Monitoring the risk of third parties
4. Continuous exposure monitoring
5. Cyber risk intelligence

Pros

1. Excellent management of vendor risk
2. Simple security ratings
3. Excellent visibility of third parties
4. Good reporting for executives

Cons

1. Security ratings may omit some risks
2. Some advanced features pricey
3. Findings may need manual checking
4. Focus is on external not internal

8. UpGuard Attack Surface Management

Providing continuous monitoring of external assets and security threats, UpGuard Attack Surface Management is one of the Top Attack Surface Management (ASM) Tools for FinTech Companies. It provides the means to identify all infrastructure that is accessible on the Internet, and identifies both configuration errors and security threats. Knowing this allows organizations to maintain and improve both their security posture and risk profile.

Beyond attack surface monitoring, UpGuard provides vendor risk management capabilities, which is helpful for FinTech companies due to the number of third parties they interact with.

Security teams are notified about the emergence of new exposures and provided recommendations to remediate. The ongoing evaluations maintain awareness of the risks. The tool also assists with compliance while safeguarding the financial systems and information of their clientele.

Key Features

1. Monitoring external assets
2. Assessment of vendor risk
3. Monitoring risk posture
4. Automated risk alerts
5. Continuous attack surface assessment

Pros

1. Simple interface
2. Excellent assessment of third-party risk
3. Fast implementation
4. Good usable remediation recommendations

Cons

1. Basic threat seeking features
2. May not scale to all enterprise needs
3. Fewer integrations compared to larger competitors
4. remediation reporting may be basic

9. Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management

Offering thorough asset discovery in on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments, Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management qualifies as one of the Top Attack Surface Management (ASM) Tools for FinTech Companies. The tool automatically discovers and records all hardware, software, applications, and resources that are open to the Internet.

The solution examines assets to find vulnerabilities, configuration faults, and security gaps that could broaden exposure. With comprehensive visibility, security teams can more easily prioritize efforts and remediate cyber risks faster.

Integration into the Qualys security platform streamlines vulnerability management and compliance. For FinTech companies, Qualys offers necessary asset intelligence to reinforce security controls and reduce possible attack vectors.

Key Features

1. Full visibility to all your assets
2. Visibility to Cloud and hybrid
3. Continuous discovery of assets
4. Identification of vulnerabilities
5. Assistance with compliance

Pros

1. Excellent tracking of assets
2. Excellent visibility to the Cloud
3. Excellent features for compliance
4. Mature security offering

Cons

1. The system may appear complex
2. Needs tailoring to truly fit your needs
3. Costs may increase for advanced features
4. Implementation time may be lengthy

10. CyCognito

Identified as one of the Best Attack Surface Management (ASM) Tools for FinTech Companies, CyCognito achieves this title by centering discovery and assessment on the validator. The platform automatically maps previously unknown assets by external-facing infrastructure, cloud services, apps, and subs.

The solution also continuously assesses the mapped assets for vulnerabilities, configuration issues, and weaknesses. Once mapped, CyCognito aids security teams by focusing on the most critical exposures since risks are determined based on the real, validated threat. Improved operational security needs assessment and automated risk discovery. CyCognito offers FinTech companies the ability to quickly decrease the attack surface for financial data.

Key Features

1. Asset discovery from an attacker’s view
2. Assessment of external exposure
3. Discovery of hidden assets
4. Continuous risk evaluation
5. Remediation guidance of highest priority

Pros

1. Great offering for the discovery of hidden assets
2. Increased visibility of external attack surfaces
3. Automation of risk assessments
4. Prioritization of exposure becomes more effective

Cons

1. High costs for businesses
2. Weaker, unproven brand recognition
3. Customization becomes more challenging
4. Findings require a human review for remediation

Benefits of Using ASM Tools in FinTech

Visibility of Digital Assets ASM solutions help discover and monitor digital assets that are exposed and assist FinTech companies in tracking their digital assets fully. ASM utilizes monitor asset discovery that is ongoing to track digital assets that regularly update.

Identification of Security Risks ASM solutions help identify systems that are exposed and assist FinTech companies in tracking their digital assets fully. Cybercriminals exploit numerous opportunities on the internet that are related to cybersecurity; FinTech firms stand to benefit from ASM tools of late.

Risk of Data Breaches Decrease ASM tools help to find more hidden assets and security gaps ASM solutions. ASM threats help to protect financial and even more sensitive and customer data from unauthorized access.

Better Compliance with Standards ASM solutions help deliver continuous monitoring and security visibility, built to assist and meet the financial compliance industry standards and regulations, security and protection are reinforced and support.

Cloud Security Management ASM solutions in FinTech help to locate all exposed cloud resources and cloud services that have been improperly configured as well as cloud services that are unauthorized within all the clouds.

Improved Monitoring of Third Party Risk ASM tools in FinTech solutions help to control security threats along all the third parties involved in the and ASM tools in FinTech help monitor all the major supply chain security threats.

More Timely Responses to Risks The ASM solutions help to provide real time notifications with the highest priority risks control security threats

Why FinTech Companies Are Investing More in ASM

Conclusion

The role of Attack Surface Management (ASM) in FinTech cybersecurity will only expand as cyber risks grow. Effective ASM tools enable the discovery of previously unknown assets, monitoring of external exposures, assessment of potential attack vectors, and mitigation of risks before they are exploited. Cortex Xpanse, Microsoft Defender EASM, CrowdStrike Falcon Exposure Management, Tenable ASM, and CyCognito are examples of tools that offer sophisticated visibility and the ability to manage risk within the finance domain.

The effectiveness of an ASM solution depends on factors such as the capability of asset discovery, visibility of cloud environments, risk prioritization, and the capability of the solution to integrate within the existing FinTech technology stacks.

Successful deployment of ASM tools will enable FinTech institutions to improve their security and operational risk posture, achieve their compliance requirements, and safeguard their customers’ financial information against sophisticated cyberattacks.

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