The more your business grows, the more digital doors you leave open. New tools, cloud services, third-party platforms, forgotten subdomains, they all become part of your attack surface. And every one of them is a potential entry point for attackers.

What makes it more complicated is that your attack surface isn’t static. It shifts constantly. New vendors get added. Old ones stay connected longer than they should. Employees spin up tools without going through IT. Before you know it, you’re exposed in ways you didn’t even realize.

That’s where attack surface management (ASM) comes in. It’s not just a cybersecurity buzzword, it’s a foundational part of how modern companies protect themselves. ASM companies help you identify, monitor, and manage all of your digital exposure, including the complex web of risks introduced by third-party vendors.

And those third-party risks are no small threat. According to IBM’s 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report, 15% of breaches originated from vulnerabilities in an organization’s supply chain,  and breaches involving third parties cost, on average, nearly $1 million more than those that didn’t.

But with so many attack surface management companies out there, how do you find the right fit? This guide will walk you through what to look for, the questions to ask, and how to evaluate the tools that will truly protect your organization from the inside out.

Why Attack Surface Management Matters

Your attack surface includes every system, application, and connection that could be exploited by a threat actor. That means internal servers, public-facing websites, APIs, employee devices, and third-party tools all count. As your digital ecosystem grows, this surface becomes harder to track and even harder to secure.

Misconfigured assets, unapproved SaaS tools, and forgotten cloud resources often fly under the radar, creating blind spots that attackers are quick to exploit. At the same time, third-party vendors introduce additional layers of risk through exposed APIs, outdated software, and unsecured infrastructure that may be connected directly to your systems.

This is where attack surface management companies come in. They continuously map your digital footprint, flag emerging risks, and provide actionable insights to help you reduce exposure. Point-in-time audits and spreadsheets won’t cut it anymore. ASM gives you a real-time view of what’s really going on.

The best providers go a step further by incorporating third-party risk management into their platform. That means not only identifying vulnerabilities in your own environment but also helping you understand which vendors may be putting your data, operations, or customers at risk before an attacker finds out.

Key Considerations When Choosing an Attack Surface Management Company

Choosing the right ASM provider means looking beyond flashy dashboards. You need a solution that delivers deep visibility, continuous monitoring, and actionable insights. And with third-party risk playing a bigger role than ever, it’s essential to select a company that can help you manage external threats, not just internal ones.

Here are four key capabilities to prioritize when evaluating attack surface management companies.

Comprehensive Discovery and Monitoring

You can’t secure what you can’t see. A strong ASM provider should give you complete visibility into every digital asset tied to your organization, not just the ones on your inventory list. That includes shadow IT, forgotten subdomains, misconfigured cloud environments, exposed APIs, and unmanaged third-party integrations.

Third-party risk plays a significant role in your overall exposure. Your ASM solution should be able to uncover hidden connections across your supply chain, including vendor-owned assets that interface with your systems. Whether it’s a marketing platform, a payroll tool, or an external developer environment, every connection matters.

Continuous discovery is the key here. A point-in-time snapshot isn’t enough. Look for a provider that automatically scans and updates your asset inventory in real time, adapting to changes as your environment grows and evolves. The more dynamic the discovery, the more resilient your defense.

Real-Time Threat Analysis

The threat landscape moves quickly, and your attack surface changes just as fast. That’s why real-time threat analysis is critical. Your ASM platform should detect vulnerabilities and indicators of compromise the moment they appear, whether it’s an open port, a zero-day exploit, or a sudden configuration drift in a cloud service.

For third-party vendors, speed is even more important. Risks introduced by your partners, exposed APIs, inherited vulnerabilities, or compromised software dependencies, need to be tracked as they happen. A delay of even a few hours could be the difference between prevention and incident response.

Choose an ASM provider that combines real-time monitoring with intelligent alerting. The goal isn’t just to flood your inbox with notifications, but to give your team the context, severity, and recommended actions to respond quickly and confidently.

Tailored Reporting and Insights:

Raw data has limited value if it doesn’t lead to action. The best attack surface management platforms go beyond asset listings and vulnerability scores, they deliver detailed, tailored insights that help your security team prioritize and respond effectively.

You should be able to filter and sort risk data by asset type, business unit, severity level, and ownership. This makes it easier to align remediation efforts with the areas that matter most.

When it comes to third-party vendors, reporting should provide visibility into which services are affected, how they interact with your systems, and what corrective steps are needed. It should also support compliance efforts by documenting vendor performance and flagging critical issues for review.

Ultimately, your ASM reporting should act as a roadmap, helping you make better security decisions faster.

Integration with Existing Security Tools:

Attack surface management doesn’t operate in a vacuum. To be truly effective, your ASM solution should integrate with the rest of your security ecosystem; including tools like SIEM, SOAR, vulnerability management platforms, and third-party risk management systems.

These integrations help streamline your workflows and centralize your threat and risk data, so your team isn’t jumping between platforms. Vendor risks discovered through ASM should automatically feed into your risk register or compliance dashboards, giving stakeholders a real-time view of what matters most.

Look for providers that offer flexible APIs, native integrations, and support for common security toolsets. The easier it is to connect the dots across your environment, the more value your ASM platform will deliver, without adding more manual work for your team.

Questions to Ask Potential Attack Surface Management Providers

Once you’ve narrowed down your list of providers, asking the right questions can make all the difference. It’s not just about checking off features; it’s about understanding how each ASM company aligns with your security priorities, infrastructure, and risk tolerance. Focus on how well they manage third-party exposure, how their platform fits into your existing tech stack, and whether their insights are both actionable and scalable. The goal is to find a provider that helps you stay ahead of threats, not simply react to them. Here are four key questions to guide your evaluation process.

What Types of Assets Do You Monitor?

Start by understanding the full scope of the platform’s visibility. A strong ASM solution should cover internal systems, cloud environments, public-facing assets, and third-party integrations. That includes everything from employee devices and servers to shadow IT, SaaS tools, and forgotten subdomains. Be sure to ask how the platform discovers unmanaged or unknown assets and whether it updates automatically as your environment evolves. 

Vendor-owned assets and infrastructure should also be part of their monitoring capabilities. The more comprehensive the discovery process, the fewer blind spots you’ll have, and the more proactive you can be about risk mitigation.

How Do You Address Third-Party Risks?

Third-party vendors often introduce risk without realizing it. Ask providers to explain how they monitor and assess external partners, especially those with access to sensitive data or systems. Look for platforms that track exposed APIs, inherited code dependencies, and shared service vulnerabilities in real time. Can they map vendor relationships and show how they connect to your internal infrastructure? Do they flag risky behavior or policy violations across your supply chain? 

The best ASM companies offer transparency around their vendor risk scoring, detection methods, and response processes so you can better manage third-party exposure from day one.

Do You Offer Support for Compliance and Audits?

Regulatory compliance and third-party risk management go hand in hand. Ask if the ASM provider offers built-in tools to help you meet key frameworks like GDPR, HIPAA, ISO 27001, and SOC 2. This includes generating audit-ready reports, tracking vendor performance, and documenting remediation steps over time. Some solutions also support custom compliance workflows and provide evidence collection features that simplify audit prep. 

If you’re working with vendors across regions or industries, make sure the platform can support varying regulatory standards. Strong compliance capabilities can save time, reduce legal risk, and improve collaboration across security and risk teams.

How Do You Handle Real-Time Threats?

Attackers move fast, and your ASM platform should too. Ask how the provider detects and responds to emerging threats, particularly those involving third-party vendors or external-facing systems. Look for solutions that offer continuous monitoring, automated alerts, and contextual risk scoring to help you prioritize incidents as they happen. Can they integrate with your SIEM or SOAR tools to streamline response? Do they offer escalation workflows or remediation recommendations? 

Real-time coverage isn’t just about speed, it’s about giving your team the visibility and control to act decisively before a threat turns into a breach.

Benefits of Choosing the Right Attack Surface Management Company

Choosing the right attack surface management company is about more than identifying vulnerabilities, it’s about building a proactive, resilient security strategy. A strong ASM provider helps you continuously monitor your entire digital environment, giving you the visibility to detect risks early and take action before they escalate into full-blown incidents.

One of the most valuable aspects of ASM is how it addresses third-party risk. The right provider doesn’t just alert you to external threats; they give you a deeper understanding of how vendors, partners, and integrations affect your security posture. This means you can evaluate vendor risk more accurately, strengthen oversight, and respond faster when something goes wrong.

There’s also a compliance advantage. Many regulatory frameworks, from SOC 2 to NIST and ISO 27001, emphasize the importance of third-party risk management. A capable ASM platform can streamline documentation, support audits, and demonstrate due diligence, saving you time while reducing legal and operational risk.

In short, the right ASM company helps you stay one step ahead of attackers, vendors, and compliance challenges alike.

Steps to Get Started Selecting an Attack Surface Management Company

Choosing the right attack surface management company starts with understanding your own environment. Before reaching out to vendors, map out your current attack surface. This includes internal systems, cloud environments, employee devices, and especially third-party tools and integrations. Identify which assets are known, which ones might be unmanaged, and where your team feels least confident in visibility.

Once you have that baseline, use the considerations and questions outlined earlier to guide your evaluation. Prioritize providers that offer real-time monitoring, strong third-party risk coverage, and seamless integration with your existing tools. Consider how well each platform scales, whether it offers flexible reporting, and if it aligns with your compliance needs.

From there, take the next step: ask for a personalized demo. Request a proof of concept tailored to your environment. See how the platform performs in practice, not just on a sales slide. A strong ASM provider will be transparent, flexible, and ready to show you how their solution fits your specific use case.

Doing the groundwork upfront will help you choose a partner, not just a product.

Select the Best Attack Surface Management Company

Selecting an ASM provider is about more than just features. It’s about finding a partner that understands your business goals and builds security around them. That includes managing third-party risk, integrating with your existing tools, and supporting your long-term growth.

Want to take control of your vendor security and ensure compliance with ease? Panorays helps businesses automate third-party risk assessments, enhance compliance tracking, and strengthen security oversight, all in one powerful platform.

Start optimizing your vendor risk management today. Get a demo now.

Don’t wait for an incident to take control of your attack surface. The sooner you understand your exposure, the better equipped you’ll be to protect your organization. Proactive security starts with visibility and the right partner can help you achieve both.

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