A single unmonitored uncovered IT asset is all it takes to compromise a complete group. Therefore IT asset monitoring is without doubt one of the key methods that retains proactive cybersecurity efforts up and operating throughout companies.

Nonetheless, with the rising reliance on cloud platforms, third-party distributors, and distant operations, the variety of IT belongings to be monitored, each inside and exterior has widened. And the broader it will get, the better the assault floor that could possibly be exploited.

Throughout France, enterprises are grappling with an increasing assault floor as digital transformation accelerates. Latest information from Statista exhibits that 74% of organizations in France encountered ransomware assaults in 2024. The story was just like the 12 months earlier than when it was about 64%.

However what vulnerabilities are attracting cybercriminals to French companies? The reply and extra could possibly be present in Outpost24’s 2024 French EASM benchmark.

Understanding the Dangers in France’s Digital Panorama

Most CISOs would agree {that a} full stock of their exterior assault floor is paramount, as internet-exposed belongings face relentless automated assaults. With out this information, efficient protection turns into a fairy story.

To grasp the extent to which public-facing belongings of France-based companies are uncovered to cyber-attacks, Outpost24, final 12 months, analyzed over 19,000 belongings throughout varied sectors utilizing its Exterior Assault Floor Administration (EASM) answer.

The outcomes of that research present that whereas France’s push into digital transformation is creating new technological frontiers, it’s additionally birthing new vulnerabilities.

Let’s take the pharmaceutical sector for instance. Findings reveal that it was probably the most susceptible with 25.4% of vulnerabilities rated essential, very excessive, or excessive. The transport sector had the very best proportion of essential or very excessive Identified Exploitable Vulnerabilities (KEVs) at 49.5%, in comparison with Finance’s 22%.

The analyses additionally highlighted 252 cookie violations and credentials stolen by malware within the healthcare sector. This isn’t a shock as public healthcare methods are sometimes tied to ageing legacy infrastructure which bears their justifiable share of exploitable vulnerabilities.

Outpost24 additional undertook to research the web infrastructure of the Paris 2024 Olympic video games to know what the assault floor dangers appeared like. The research discovered two uncovered distant entry ports, 31 domains (5.8%) with invalid SSL certificates, 86 domains (16%) missing SSL, and 257 out of 294 web sites with safety header points.

Whereas the general cybersecurity posture of the Olympics was deemed good, the deep assault floor evaluation was essential because it made it simpler to uncover hidden dangers and supplied actionable insights.

The Price of Neglecting IT Asset Administration

The tempo at which we’re experiencing digital enlargement doesn’t give room for neglecting IT asset safety. Any nonchalance in the direction of having digital sources usually results in devastating penalties for organizations.

IBM’s 2024 Price of a Knowledge Breach Report pegs the worldwide common price of a breach at $4.88 million, up 10% from 2023. It additionally discovered that breaches involving unmonitored or poorly managed belongings (e.g., shadow information or gadgets) accounted for 35% of incidents and have been 16% dearer than common.

However past financial losses, corporations that fail to handle their IT belongings successfully are sure to face complicated compliance points. As reported by Proximity, practically half of all asset managers surveyed in 2023 noticed compliance as a number one concern, a burden compounded by the ever-evolving regulatory panorama.

To this finish, organizations should prioritize this significant facet of cybersecurity to guard their digital belongings and keep their aggressive edge.

How EASM Strengthens Digital Resilience

Managing an ever-expanding assault floor can really feel overwhelming, however options like Exterior Assault Floor Administration (EASM)-Instruments simplify the method.

Outpost24’s EASM answer makes use of passive detection, elaborate discovery strategies and AI to constantly scan, monitor, and asses exterior IT belongings and thus assist organizations keep forward of cyber threats.

With the latest addition of a Darkish Net module characteristic, Outpost24 is taking assault floor administration and safety even additional. The module displays underground boards, chats and datadumps for mentions of firm information, and by doing so, detects potential gross sales or assault plans earlier than they escalate.

For French companies, this stage of monitoring is essential. In essential industries, EASM might assist get rid of shadow IT, detect compromised credentials and their supply, spotlight non-criminal-cyber dangers and flag uncared for servers that could possibly be exploited.

Along with all of those, Outpost24’s risk-ranking system permits safety groups to deal with probably the most urgent threats thereby slicing by means of the noise.

Conclusion

Chopping down exterior assault surfaces begins with understanding what IT belongings to guard, the place they’re, and the extent of threat they pose. French companies can considerably decrease their vulnerabilities in the event that they incorporate high quality exterior assault floor administration options.

Should you’re interested in how your group’s assault floor rating measures up, guide a free assault floor evaluation at the moment with Outpost24 to identify your cybersecurity weak spots.