Key Changes in Gartner Hype Cycle 2024: Adversarial Exposure Validation & Automated Pen Testing

The Gartner Hype Cycle 2024 shows how existing technologies have been integrated into broader platforms for more comprehensive exposure management.

Key changes in Gartner Hype Cycle 2024:

Exposure Assessment Platforms now include both :
- vulnerability assessment and
- vulnerability prioritization technologies
Adversarial Exposure Validation (added in 2024) now incorporates:
- breach attack simulation
- autonomous penetration testing and red teaming

Key Learnings From Gartner Hype Cycle: Adversarial Exposure Validation

Adversarial Exposure Validation: This process uses automated tools to consistently and continuously validate how feasible various attack scenarios are. It demonstrates not just the existence but the exploitability of security exposures, deploying primarily through SaaS with agents or virtual machines.
Convergence of Tools in Adversarial Exposure Validation: Automated penetration testing & red teaming tools and breach and attack simulation vendors have evolved into adversarial exposure validation providers, offering flexible, easy-to-deploy products that improve assessment reliability and efficiency.
- breach attack simulation
- autonomous penetration testing
- autonomous red teaming

Business Impact of Adversarial Exposure Validation/ Automated Pen Testing

Confirms potential exposure to specific threats by taking the attackers’ perspective.
Evaluates the efficacy of attacks through existing security controls.
Highlights vulnerable paths to the organization’s most critical assets.
Assists security teams in prioritizing strategic initiatives.
Helps evaluate the value of acquired technologies.
Complements exposure assessments by providing continuous execution of attack scenarios.

CISO Use Cases For Adversarial Exposure Validation/ Automated Pen Testing

Relevance to Security Operations: Provides flexibility and automation, supporting multiple use cases for efficient threat management.
Urgency in Mitigation of High Priority Risks: Automated Pen testing tools show the high-priority issues to focus on based on attacks that are more likely to work, ensuring effective threat response.
Red Team Augmentation: Eases the initiation of red teaming programs with automation, reducing costs and demonstrating early benefits.
Attack Surface Reduction: This method utilizes automated pen testing tools to validate security controls and consistently improve security posture over time.
Compliance Through Security Posture Validation: Continuously validates security posture, preparing for compliance testing and enhancing human-led red team activities with genuine attack emulations.
Security Control Validation: Automated Pen Testing tools highlight deficiencies in an organization's existing security controls or how they are configured, thereby improving overall configuration and gap visibility.
Support For CTEM Programs: Automates the “validation” step, aiding the initiation and execution of continuous threat exposure management.

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