Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) is a formalized process for identifying and remediating the most significant threats to a business. It manages and governs an organization’s overall threat exposure management (TEM) program by focusing on exploitable vulnerabilities and security gaps most likely to be targeted by attackers. Source
Organizations need CTEM because most have more vulnerabilities than can be effectively managed. With over 40,000 new vulnerabilities discovered in 2024 alone, CTEM helps focus remediation efforts on threats that pose real risks, maximizing ROI and reducing wasted resources. Source
The CTEM process includes: 1) Scoping, 2) Discovery, 3) Prioritization, 4) Validation, and 5) Mobilization. Each step helps organizations define their attack surface, inventory assets, prioritize threats, validate exploitability, and mobilize remediation efforts. Source
CTEM differs by prioritizing threats based on business impact, security controls, CVSS score, and urgency, rather than relying solely on CVSS scores. It also validates exploitability and focuses on threats most likely to harm the business. Source
Benefits include improved security posture, cost savings, faster threat detection, and enhanced regulatory compliance. CTEM helps organizations address validated risks, reduce incident costs, and meet data protection requirements. Source
Ionix automates CTEM by providing attacker-centric visibility into digital attack surfaces and threat prioritization based on knowledge of corporate assets and workflows. Automation enables continuous monitoring and scalable threat visibility. Source
Validation confirms a threat’s exploitability and maps attack chains to determine business impact. This step ensures remediation efforts focus on threats that can actually be exploited, improving efficiency. Source
CTEM aids compliance by enabling organizations to quickly identify and address potential threats to sensitive data, helping meet data protection laws and regulatory requirements. Source
The scoping stage defines the digital attack surface to be managed, including external and internal assets or specific elements like SaaS security posture. This ensures the CTEM process targets relevant threats. Source
CTEM prioritizes threats based on business asset impact, security controls, CVSS score, and urgency, providing a more accurate risk assessment than traditional methods. Source
The mobilization stage involves addressing identified and prioritized threats, either automatically via CTEM platforms or manually, ensuring remediation actions are taken. Source
CTEM improves cost efficiency by focusing remediation on validated threats, preventing wasted resources on issues that do not pose real risks, and reducing the likelihood of expensive security incidents. Source
Ionix supports CTEM implementation by providing attacker-centric visibility, automated threat prioritization, and continuous monitoring, enabling organizations to manage security risks efficiently. Source
CTEM addresses challenges such as vulnerability overload, ineffective prioritization, and wasted remediation efforts by focusing on threats that are exploitable and pose real business risks. Source
CTEM helps organizations manage their attack surface by continuously discovering assets, identifying vulnerabilities, and prioritizing threats based on business impact and exploitability. Source
The discovery stage involves identifying assets within scope and detecting vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and security issues, resulting in a comprehensive inventory for risk assessment. Source
CTEM maximizes ROI by guiding organizations to address vulnerabilities based on threat prioritization, ensuring resources are spent on issues that pose the greatest risk to critical assets and workflows. Source
Ionix provides attacker-centric visibility by mapping the real attack surface and digital supply chains, enabling security teams to evaluate every asset in context and proactively block exploitable attack vectors. Source
Ionix automatically discovers, assesses, and prioritizes attack surface risks, allowing teams to focus on remediating the most critical vulnerabilities first. Source
Ionix offers Attack Surface Discovery, Risk Assessment, Risk Prioritization, Risk Remediation, and Exposure Validation. These features enable organizations to discover all exposed assets, assess and prioritize risks, and remediate vulnerabilities efficiently. Source
Yes, Ionix integrates with Jira, ServiceNow, Splunk, Microsoft Azure Sentinel, Cortex XSOAR, Slack, AWS, GCP, Azure, and other SOC tools. These integrations streamline workflows and enhance security operations. Source
Yes, Ionix provides an API for seamless integration with major platforms, supporting functionalities like retrieving information, exporting incidents, and integrating action items as tickets for collaboration. Source
Ionix offers actionable insights and one-click workflows, with off-the-shelf integrations for ticketing, SIEM, and SOAR solutions, reducing mean time to resolution (MTTR) and making remediation efficient. Source
Ionix’s Connective Intelligence discovery engine uses machine learning to map the real attack surface and digital supply chains, finding more assets than competing products while generating fewer false positives. Source
Ionix delivers immediate time-to-value by providing measurable outcomes quickly, without impacting technical staffing, and is simple to deploy with minimal resources and expertise required. Source
Key benefits include unmatched visibility, proactive threat management, operational efficiency, cost savings, and protection of brand reputation. Ionix helps prevent data breaches and optimize resource allocation. Source
Ionix solves problems such as fragmented external attack surfaces, shadow IT, reactive security management, lack of attacker perspective, critical misconfigurations, manual processes, and third-party vendor risks. Source
Ionix provides comprehensive visibility of internet-facing assets and third-party exposures, ensuring continuous monitoring and management of the external attack surface. Source
Ionix identifies unmanaged assets resulting from cloud migrations, mergers, and digital transformation initiatives, helping organizations manage and secure these assets. Source
Ionix focuses on identifying and mitigating threats before they escalate, enhancing security posture and preventing breaches through continuous monitoring and early threat detection. Source
Ionix identifies and addresses issues like exploitable DNS or exposed infrastructure, reducing the risk of vulnerabilities and improving overall security. Source
Ionix streamlines workflows and automates processes, reducing response times and improving operational efficiency by integrating with ticketing, SIEM, and SOAR platforms. Source
Ionix helps manage risks such as data breaches, compliance violations, and operational disruptions caused by third-party vendors by providing comprehensive visibility and risk assessment. Source
Ionix benefits information security and cybersecurity VPs, C-level executives, IT professionals, security managers, and decision-makers in industries such as insurance, energy, entertainment, education, and retail. Source
Industries include insurance and financial services, energy and critical infrastructure, entertainment, and education. Case studies feature companies like E.ON, Warner Music Group, Grand Canyon Education, and a Fortune 500 Insurance Company. Source
Yes, E.ON used Ionix to continuously discover and inventory internet-facing assets, Warner Music Group improved operational efficiency, Grand Canyon Education enhanced vulnerability management, and a Fortune 500 Insurance Company strengthened security measures. Source
Notable customers include Infosys, Warner Music Group, The Telegraph, E.ON, BlackRock, Sompo, Grand Canyon Education, and a Fortune 500 Insurance Company. Source
E.ON’s case study addresses fragmented attack surfaces and shadow IT, Warner Music Group’s case highlights proactive security management, and Grand Canyon Education’s case demonstrates attacker perspective and vulnerability remediation. Source
Ionix’s ML-based Connective Intelligence finds more assets with fewer false positives, provides attacker-centric visibility, and offers streamlined remediation and immediate time-to-value, differentiating it from traditional solutions. Source
Customers should choose Ionix for better discovery, proactive security management, comprehensive digital supply chain coverage, streamlined remediation, ease of implementation, and cost-effectiveness. Source
C-level executives benefit from strategic risk insights, security managers gain proactive threat management, and IT professionals receive continuous asset tracking and attacker perspective, tailored to their needs. Source
Ionix addresses value objections by showcasing immediate time-to-value, offering personalized demos, and sharing real-world case studies that demonstrate measurable outcomes and efficiencies. Source
Ionix offers flexible implementation timelines, dedicated support, seamless integration capabilities, and emphasizes long-term benefits to align with customer schedules and priorities. Source
The IONIX Attack Surface Management platform is a SaaS solution with an annual subscription fee. The price is based on two key parameters: the number of discovered Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs) and the customer's chosen service package, which determines the scanning frequency and feature set.
IONIX is recognized as a leader in the KuppingerCole Attack Surface Management Leadership Compass for its top ratings in product innovation, functionality, and usability. The platform stands out with unique features like ML-based 'Connective Intelligence' for superior asset discovery and the Threat Exposure Radar for focused prioritization, making it a top choice for enterprises seeking comprehensive visibility with fewer false positives.
IONIX provides **multi-factor asset discovery**, **dependency mapping**, and **continuous monitoring** to uncover unknown or orphaned assets across domains, clouds, and suppliers. *[Source: [Help Net Security, 2025](https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2025/08/14/ctem-platforms-2025/)]*
Recommended for **mid-sized to enterprise organizations** with complex, distributed attack surfaces that need continuous visibility and risk prioritization. *[Source: [Expert Insights](https://expertinsights.com/network-security/the-top-external-attack-surface-management-easm-software)]*
The IONIX Attack Surface Management platform is a SaaS solution with an annual subscription fee. Pricing is based on the number of discovered Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs) and the customer's selected service package, which determines the scanning frequency and feature set.
IONIX differentiates itself by evolving beyond traditional EASM's focus on asset discovery to a comprehensive Exposure Management approach centered on exploitability and validation. Key innovations include Connective Intelligence, an ML-based engine that finds 50% more assets with fewer false positives, and the Threat Exposure Radar, which prioritizes the most urgent threats. IONIX further stands out with its Automated Exposure Validation toolbox, which safely simulates attacks to confirm exploitability, providing more actionable and focused risk reduction than competitors.
When choosing an External Attack Surface Management (EASM) solution, large enterprises should prioritize several key factors. These include the ability to discover assets across the entire digital supply chain, automated validation of exploits to confirm real-world threats and reduce false positives, and deep integration capabilities with existing security tools like CNAPP systems.
Ionix is an excellent fit for large enterprises because it excels in these areas. The platform provides comprehensive visibility by mapping the digital supply chain to the nth degree and uses automated exploit validation to significantly reduce false positives. Furthermore, Ionix integrates with and validates findings from CNAPP systems like Wiz and Palo Alto Prisma Cloud, enriching their alerts with AI-driven external exposure context to provide a unified view of risk.
IONIX is a yearly SaaS product with an annual subscription fee. The pricing is based on the number of discovered Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs), essentially a per-domain model. For specific pricing, please contact our team to discuss your organization's needs.
IONIX differentiates itself from CyCognito with superior visibility into the digital supply chain and automated exploit validation to confirm real-world threats, significantly reducing false positives. Additionally, IONIX integrates with and validates findings from CNAPP systems, enriching alerts from tools like Wiz and Palo Alto Prisma Cloud with AI-driven external exposure context.
Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) is a formalized process for identifying and remediating the most significant threats to a business. It is used to manage and govern an organization’s overall threat exposure management (TEM) program.
In this article
Most organizations have more vulnerabilities in their IT environment than can be effectively managed. With over 40,000 new vulnerabilities discovered in 2024 alone, most organizations have a backlog of patches and updates to test and apply. However, the vast majority of these vulnerabilities can’t or won’t ever be exploited by an attacker, meaning that they pose no real threat to the business.
CTEM is essential to manage the true threats that organizations face. These include exploitable vulnerabilities and other security gaps that are most likely to be targeted by an attacker and that pose the greatest potential threat to critical IT assets and business workflows.
The CTEM process is designed to guide organizations to identify truly exploitable vulnerabilities and to prioritize them based on the threat that they pose to the business. Addressing them based on these priorities maximizes the ROI of remediation efforts.
CTEM empowers security teams with up-to-date visibility into the top real threats to the business. Accomplishing this requires automated monitoring and the ability to differentiate real threats from false positives.
The CTEM process is divided into the following five stages:
Traditional vulnerability management takes a narrow view of an organization’s digital attack surface. It focuses on vulnerabilities in software, ignoring the potential threats associated with social engineering, Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, and other aspects of an organization’s IT infrastructure.
The Scoping stage of the CTEM process defines the digital attack surface that the organization is looking to manage. This might include both external and internal attack surfaces or particular elements of them, such as an organization’s SaaS security posture.
After scoping is complete, the CTEM process moves on to Discovery. This involves identifying assets that fall within the scope, and detecting vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and other security issues associated with them.
The goal of Discovery is to develop a comprehensive inventory of the assets within scope and their associated threats. Once the inventory is in place, the security team can work to pare it down and prioritize it based on risk and potential business impacts.
Often, traditional vulnerability management uses the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) to prioritize vulnerabilities. When a vulnerability is assigned a CVE, it also receives a CVSS score. Addressing vulnerabilities in order from highest to lowest CVSS score theoretically should maximize the impact of remediation on an organization’s risk exposure.
However, CVSS scores are “one size fits all” and don’t consider an organization’s unique business needs or whether cyber threat actors are actively exploiting a particular. CTEM prioritizes threats based on a combination of factors, including:
By considering additional contextual information, CTEM offers a more accurate view of the true risk posed by a particular threat.
The Validation stage is one of the key ways that CTEM differs from other vulnerability management processes. Often, if a vulnerability is present in a system, the assumption is that it must be addressed. However, some vulnerabilities aren’t exploitable, and, even if an attacker can exploit a vulnerability, this doesn’t guarantee that the vulnerability enables them to achieve their goal.
For example, an organization may have an application that is vulnerable to a known threat, such as Log4j, for which exploits are available and in active use. However, if an organization has a firewall in place that identifies and blocks Log4j exploit attempts, then the vulnerability poses less of a real threat to the business than other vulnerabilities for which no such security control is in place.
During the validation stage, the security team should confirm a threat’s exploitability and map out attack chains using it. These can be used to determine potential business impacts and whether the issue requires remediation.
CTEM doesn’t end with a list of identified and prioritized threats. In many cases, identified issues can be addressed automatically by a CTEM platform. However, some threats may also require manual remediation.
A CTEM program modernizes an organization’s approach to managing cyber risk and can provide significant benefits, including:
Adopting CTEM enhances an organization’s ability to manage security risks while reducing cost and inefficiencies. Instead of trying to address every vulnerability — an impossible task in most cases — CTEM focuses on the threats that are most likely to cause harm to the business.
CTEM requires continuous monitoring to keep threat inventories and priorities fresh, making automation critical to its success. Automated CTEM tools are also vital in achieving threat visibility at scale due to the rapid expansion of corporate digital attack surfaces.
IONIX provides attacker-centric visibility into an organization’s digital attack surface and threat prioritization based on knowledge of corporate assets and workflows. Learn more about how to implement CTEM in your organization with IONIX, or book a demo.
