Despite advancements in security, web applications are still a problem. Attackers target web applications because they’re exposed, complex, and not as well protected as they should be. According to Verizon¹, web applications are the most prevalent attack vector, with exploitations of vulnerabilities increasing by 180% in 2024.  

The digital world is constantly expanding, and with it, the opportunities for cyber threats are multiplying. So how do you know where to focus your penetration testing efforts? External attack surface analysis can help by building a detailed map of your digital landscape that could be exploited by attackers. This helps pen testers to focus their efforts on the most critical areas and prioritize high-risk vulnerabilities.  

We’ll explore how combining external attack surface analysis with consumption-based pen testing can help organizations of all sizes and budgets strengthen their defenses against evolving cyber threats. 

Web application risks  

Attackers know web applications are vulnerable. They aim to exploit vulnerabilities faster than organizations can detect and respond to them.  

These are some of the key challenges with application security:  

• Applications are a primary target: Web applications hold sensitive data, power digital businesses, and are exposed to the internet. This makes them both attractive and accessible for attackers. Verizon reports a 34% year-over-year increase in exploited vulnerabilities in web applications in 2025.  
• Applications are mission critical: It’s rarely optional to use web applications. These apps are how customers interact with businesses and how employees get work – downtime or breaches can be catastrophic. Forrester² report 68% of organizations say their most sensitive data resides in applications.  
• Lack of visibility and testing: Security teams often lack full visibility into their application environments. Organizations rarely have a complete and accurate inventory of what they own – they don’t know what they have, where it is, or how vulnerable it may be. It’s hard to test and protect what you don’t know about.  

Growing attack surfaces 

What kind of known and unknowns make up a modern complex attack surface? Digital footprints are harder to define, manage, and protect. Cyber threats are also becoming more advanced, with hackers employing techniques such as AI and automation against traditional security methods. More than ever, vulnerabilities can be found in areas you wouldn’t suspect, and slip past security controls you usually rely on: 

• Known and unknown web applications  
• Unpatched vulnerabilities and outdated applications  
• Limited internal resources and security expertise leading to stretched teams  
• Lack of visibility into exploitable attack paths where weaknesses can be chained together  
• Business critical apps after M&A that were linked from a business perspective before security was considered 
• Rapid pace of software development and tightening budgets  

Finding unknown risks with EASM 

External attack surface management (EASM) tools let you scan internet-wide to try and find blind spots, giving security teams visibility over both the known and unknown. Visible risks are just a small part of your security posture. Hidden threats in cloud, SaaS, and supply chains can put infrastructure, applications, and end users at risk.  

EASM offers continuous monitoring and proactive security against these risks – it’s vital for detecting potential risks early. This visibility helps security teams understand their exposure and put a mitigation plan in place to deal with the vulnerabilities. Some of the changing and growing attack surface assets that EASM helps monitor include: 

• Thirds party providers 
• Storing data in the cloud  
• SaaS apps 
• IoT/OT devices  
• Remote employees  
• Leaked credentials  
• Domains, websites, open ports 
• Shadow IT  
• Complex supply chains  

Drive your penetration testing with attack surface analysis   

EASM gives security teams a full picture of their attack surface, helping them to be smarter with their resources and focus pen testing on the right areas. For example, business critical applications may require continuous assessment throughout the year, while some applications may be better suited to detailed one-off tests less regularly. 

Pairing a flexible Pen-testing-as-a-Service (PTaaS) model with an EASM solution can help drive your pen testing strategy in the following ways: 

• Comprehensive and continuous application security testing, compared to point-in-time traditional testing methods  
• Prioritization based on comprehensive attack surface analysis and discovery for all applications  
• Flexible consumption-based agreement to focus budget on the right areas, as your attack surface changes and grows  

CyberFlex: The best of EASM and PTaaS  

CyberFlex is an Outpost24 solution that combines the strengths of Pen-testing-as-a-Service and External Attack Surface Management. CyberFlex offers continuous coverage if your entire attack application attack surface as part of a flexible consumption model. It helps identify and protect against evolving cyber threat with ongoing management as an extension of your security team. Flexible consumption model.  

Some potential use cases for CyberFlex include: 

• Gaining a comprehensive view of your known and unknown application attack surface  
• Lowering the chance of a data breach from business-critical apps with deeper insights and targeted PTaaS assessments of discovered applications  
• Minimizing exposure windows with human-led pen testing recommendations and actionable insights  
• Aligning discovered apps with business criticality and zooming in on high-risk areas for PTaaS assessment  
• Moving faster to fix what really matters with a user-friendly interface and flexible consumption-based agreement  
• Direct access to human pen testing experts for in-depth analysis during discovery, validation, and remediation  

Interested to see how CyberFlex could work in your environment? Book a live demo.  

References

^{1 https://www.verizon.com/business/en-gb/resources/reports/dbir/}  

^{2 https://www.forrester.com/report/the-state-of-application-security-2023/RES179388}