As IT infrastructures become increasingly complex, so do areas of vulnerability. Many companies pay little attention to cybersecurity to contain risks.
Only companies that truly know their risk areas, can defend themselves effectively. Although it seems like an obvious truth, this reality has been causing serious problems for many organizations.
According to research conducted by the security provider Trend Micro, which was attended by more than 2,000 CISOs (Chief Information Security Officers), cybersecurity executives, almost three quarters (73%) of security leaders say they have already suffered a security incident due to assets in their IT infrastructure that were not managed correctly or were simply unknown, due to failures in visibility and management.
Around nine out of ten managers interviewed stated that vulnerability management has a direct impact on their organization’s business risk. A significant proportion of respondents also acknowledged that the lack of adequate risk management for exposed assets can have significant negative consequences.
Among the most affected areas, the following stand out:
- Business support (42% of respondents)
- Competitiveness (39%)
- Customer trust and brand reputation (39%)
- Supplier relations (39%)
- Employee productivity (38%)
- Financial performance (38%)
Despite the obvious risks, the study reveals that companies have not taken action to correct these problems. Only 43% use specialized tools for proactive risk management in their area of vulnerability.
The majority (58%) of respondents admitted not having implemented continuous monitoring processes. “However, this approach would be essential to mitigate and reduce risks before they impact operations,” Trend Micro said.
“In 2022, organizations around the world were already concerned that the vulnerability area was out of control. Today, the challenge is even more urgent,” said Kevin Simzer, COO of Trend Micro.
While most organizations recognize the impact of risk, few companies are focused on taking proactive security measures to continually reduce the threat—in short, there is a large gap between perception and action.
“Cyber risk management should be a top priority for all organizations.”
But, after all, how can cyber vulnerability be managed effectively?
Information security risk management requires a continuous and integrated approach involving technology, processes and people. See the following fundamental practices:
- Accurately map and manage IT assets
Having a complete view of assets—from hardware, software, cloud applications to outsourced services—is essential to reducing risk. Solutions for ITAM (IT Asset Management) help to centralize and keep this data up to date, allowing for safer and faster decisions in the event of incidents. - Continuous monitoring of the attack surface
Modern asset discovery and automated monitoring tools allow you to identify unknown devices or systems that increase your attack surface. Platforms such as ServiceNow offer integrated resources to map, relate and monitor assets in real time, directly contributing to risk reduction. - Manage vulnerabilities and exposures with agility
Performing frequent vulnerability scans and keeping them integrated into a structured response process is vital. Here, the use of vulnerability-based workflows ITSM (IT Service Management) It is good practice to ensure that each identified risk is addressed with appropriate priority and within defined timeframes. - Establish incident response and continuity processes
Having clear policies and a well-defined incident response plan helps reduce reaction time and minimize impacts. Alignment between information security, IT operations and business areas strengthens organizational resilience.
Secondary steps and follow-up:
- Educate employees and promote a safety culture
Internal awareness is the most effective pillar of defense. Investing in recurring training and clear communication about best practices helps reduce human error, which is still one of the main causes of incidents. - Continuously review, measure and evolve
The threat landscape evolves daily. Monitoring indicators, auditing processes and maintaining governance over assets and services is essential to maintaining an up-to-date and effective security posture.
Risk, Threat and Vulnerability Management: Pillars of Modern Cybersecurity
After bringing up this whole debate about the risks of security incidents due to unknown or unmanaged assets, it is necessary he understandsr gare of rbaits egare of thethreats and vulnerabilities. The cybersecurity and an integrated strategy that combinesthe risk management, threat management and vulnerability management. These three pillars are fundamental to building a resilient and prevention-oriented security posture.
Risk Management: seeing the impact on the business
Cyber risk management goes beyond identifying technical threats — it involves understanding how these threats can affect business processes, brand reputation, operational continuity, and even the organization's financial performance.
It is through this analysis that companies can prioritize security investments based on real impact, and not just technical criteria, as this allows security decisions to be aligned with the strategic objectives of the business.
Platforms like ServiceNow contribute to this vision by integrating asset, incident, and vulnerability data into a centralized governance layer, connecting security with the organization's strategic objectives.
Threat and vulnerability management: anticipating the attack
Threat management seeks to identify and monitor suspicious activities, malicious behaviors, and emerging patterns that may pose risks to information security. Vulnerability management focuses on identifying, assessing, and correcting known flaws in systems, software, and connected devices.
Together, these practices allow:
- Anticipate potential attacks before they occur;
- Reduce the window of exposure to known flaws;
- Prioritize fixes based on actual risk to the business.
Integrating these activities into ITSM and ITAM processes — such as change control, incident management, and asset inventory — ensures greater agility in response and strengthens the ability to adapt to new threat scenarios.
4MATT is the largest ITAM specialist in Latin America and an official ServiceNow partner, with extensive experience in projects that integrate asset, risk and security management. Count on our team to transform your ITAM, ITSM and cybersecurity approach, unifying technology and strategy in an intelligent way. Talk to an expert and discover how to strengthen your IT security with efficiency and real visibility.
Part of the text was translated from the article: “73% of CISOs admit security incidents due to unknown or unmanaged assets“.