How IT Visibility protects your business IT from security threats

Despite the increasing sophistication of cybersecurity tools, cyberattacks are increasing both in number and severity, and they are getting faster. The growing complexity of IT infrastructures along with the centrality of digital solutions in almost every aspect of our work leave enough room for gaps, which bad actors can exploit to gain access to critical infrastructure.

One might think that a firewall would be enough. After all, if you have a high enough fence between you and the outside world, you should be able to control who and what gets in. But this assumes that we know what needs to be protected. Although a firewall might be nearly impenetrable, if it doesn’t surround the complete environment, then the resulting security gaps leave resources open to intrusion and attack.

Similarly, you can only patch what you know about. Unknown devices and unknown software applications won’t be integrated into regular patching activities. If you don’t have a complete inventory, then you have likely left crucial pieces of your infrastructure unsecured.

The larger and more complex the environment, the harder it is to secure. There’s more to see, more opportunities for blind spots, and thus more potential security gaps. Getting visibility on potential attack surfaces is even more crucial because most attacks aren’t sophisticated. Bad actors don’t rely on cutting-edge hacking techniques to gain access to sensitive data and systems. They take the easiest route, exploiting common vulnerabilities that, for one reason or another, organizations aren’t quick to remediate, and using phishing schemes to trick users into unwittingly revealing their credentials.

This is why visibility is the first step to ensuring cybersecurity. By finding your blind spots, you reduce your attack surface and make your organization a less appealing target.