Internet Exposure Audit (IEA)

Verifying what you expose to the Internet

A modern organization’s online footprint goes far beyond its website. Internet exposure also includes Microsoft 365 and email, remote access (VPN/RDP/VDI), admin panels, APIs, DNS and TLS certificates, and—at many companies—OT components. Each touchpoint is a potential attack gateway. The Internet Exposure Audit (IEA) examines this area and, in a short cycle, delivers the key inputs for prioritization: where the biggest risks are, what to fix first, the expected impact on risk, and how to measure it.

An incident can start with a compromise of an out-of-date router or server OS, a cracked weak password with no MFA, an open port, an outdated plugin or library on the website, publicly visible cloud resources, misconfigured DNS records, expired certificates, or missing DMARC. Even if you have procedures and policies, it’s the systems exposed to the Internet—and their resilience—that ultimately determine whether an attacker gets in. IEA has a single goal: close the simplest yet highest-risk gaps faster than they can be exploited.

What does IEA cover?

We work across several logical domains—website/CMS, identity and Microsoft 365, IaaS/SaaS cloud, remote access and admin panels, DNS/TLS, and—optionally and passively—OT. Instead of stretching the project over months, we focus on updates, configuration, confirming tests, and unambiguous recommendations. Already at kick-off we agree on the key metrics: target Secure Score uplift, full MFA for privileged roles, moving domains to a DMARC “reject” policy, organizing TLS certificates, or reducing the number of open exposure points.

How does the audit proceed?

We begin with an organizational meeting to define objectives, scope, and maintenance windows. Next, we inventory elements visible from the Internet—as well as those that, while theoretically hidden, often end up accessible in practice (e.g., admin panels, test subdomains, public cloud assets). In parallel, we run confirming tests within the agreed scope, with no downtime on your side. We wrap up with analysis and prioritization by impact on risk and business continuity, so that recommendations are immediately “ready to implement” by IT/Dev/OT teams.

What do executives and IT receive?

The key deliverable is an Executive Brief—a concise document for decision-makers that clearly shows where the company is most exposed and what impact specific actions will have. We also provide a recommendations register with priorities, responsibilities, and owners, plus a monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual plan to kick off work by priority. We attach an evidence pack (screenshots, configurations, logs) required by auditors, insurers, or supply-chain partners. Everything is mapped to recognized standards (ISO/IEC 27001, OWASP, IEC 62443) and—where applicable—referenced to DORA and NIS2/uKSC requirements, so you can easily reuse the results in compliance processes.

The language of numbers, not declarations

IEA is not a checklist of “best practices,” but a set of measurable outcomes. In practice, that means target Secure Score values, 100% MFA on privileged and remote accounts, a DMARC “reject” policy on mail domains, zero expired TLS certificates, closing unnecessary ports, and cutting the external attack surface by a defined percentage within a defined time. Progress is visible, and reporting to the board is simple and data-driven.

Process safety and delivery speed

We design the audit not to disrupt operations: we agree on minimal maintenance windows, examine OT components passively only, and keep application testing to confirming checks. The goal is not to “find as much as possible,” but to first seal what brings the biggest risk reduction at the lowest cost and time investment. In practice, actions begin as early as week one: enabling MFA, blocking ports, cleaning up DNS records, and implementing DMARC.

Who is IEA for?

IEA is used primarily by boards and C-level leaders who need to quickly assess exposure, reduce risks, and make investment decisions, and by CISOs/IT who want a clear action plan and material “for control, audit, or insurer discussions.” It also works well with partners—as proof of security maturity across the supply chain.

What happens after the audit?

We prepare recommendations so they can be implemented in phases: from quick configuration fixes to deeper architectural changes. If you wish, we can support implementation and measure progress against previously agreed KPIs. We also propose periodic reviews—a quarterly “refresh” of exposure and a monthly review of Microsoft 365 changes—to keep the security trend moving upward.

Business outcome: rapid closure of gaps, clear board-level metrics, and order across areas most frequently scrutinized by regulators and partners.

Next step: contact us to schedule a short kick-off. In a standard engagement, after 10 business days you will receive the Executive Brief, an action plan, and a set of metrics ready for rollout.