[Cyber Security Terms](/glossary) Attack Surface [Blog](/blog)[Breaches](/breaches)[Resources](/resources)[News](/news) [Cyber Security Terms](/glossary) # Attack Surface ##### [Edward Kost](/team/edward-kost) updated Sep 13, 2021 ###### Contents ## What is an Attack Surface? An [attack surface](https://www.upguard.com/blog/attack-surface) is the sum of all possible malicious points of entry on a digital surface. The smaller the attack surface, the fewer exploitation options cyberattacks have. An attack vector is a specific path of entry within an attack surface, for example, [a zero-day exploit](https://www.upguard.com/blog/zero-day#:~:text=A%20zero%2Dday%20\(0%2Dday\)%20is%20an%20unpatched,advantage%20of%20the%20security%20hole.). Though not a digital solution, humans account for a major region of the attack surface since they are usually tricked into divulging sensitive network credentials in [phishing attacks](https://www.upguard.com/blog/phishing). The basic objective of cybersecurity is to keep the attack surface as small as possible.  ## Attack Surface Examples All digital solutions are attack surfaces. The adoption of new digital solutions - a process known as digital transformation - expands the attack surface, giving cyber attacks more entry options to sensitive resources. The most common cause of attack surface expansion is the implementation of third-party software. Because of this, the third-party region of the attack surface is a common initial point of entry in [data breach attacks](https://www.upguard.com/blog/biggest-data-breaches). Some examples of attack surfaces include: * Staff * Third-party software * Third-party vendors * Endpoints * Smartphones * Mobiles devices * Laptops * Desktops * Servers * Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. ## How to Secure the Attack Surface The best method for securing the attack surface is to keep it minimal. Avoid using unnecessary third-party solutions. Third-party solutions that are necessary for meeting business objectives can be safely implemented with the support of [an attack surface monitoring solution](https://www.upguard.com/product/vendorrisk).  It’s also important to keep such critical digital solutions updated with the [latest security patches](https://www.upguard.com/blog/cve). ## Key takeaways * Humans account for a major region of the attack surface. * Safe digital transformation is possible with an attack surface monitoring solution. * A regular software patch update schedule will reduce the attack surface. * Third-party breaches are the most common type of data breach. * ###### Reviewed by No items found. ###### Author ##### [Edward Kost](/team/edward-kost) ###### Reviewed by ##### [Kaushik Sen](/team/kaushik-sen) ###### Join 27,000+ cybersecurity newsletter subscribers ## Read more about the Attack Surface Learn more about Attack Surface and the latest issues in cybersecurity. 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