Internet‑Facing Systems Are Increasing Security Risk Faster Than Teams Can Fix It

Millions of organizations are unknowingly leaving doors open to cyberattacks by exposing sensitive systems to the Internet. This report finds that overlooked access points are driving real-world breaches and making security harder to control.

According to Intruder’s 2026 Attack Surface Management Index, organizations face increasing risk because more systems and services are exposed to the Internet. Modern AI tools can quickly discover vulnerabilities, which means exposed assets can be exploited almost immediately after weaknesses are identified.

What are the most common security exposures?

Across 3,000 organizations, the most common types of security exposures include HTTP admin panels, open ports and services like Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), publicly accessible databases such as MySQL and PostgreSQL, and exposed files or information like API documentation. Exposed databases stand out as the most significant risk, and widespread exposure of API documentation often unintentionally exposes sensitive internal details. Moreover, outdated or internal services like SNMP and UPnP continue to be left accessible on the Internet, which increases vulnerability to cyberattacks.

The most frequent security problems include exposed MySQL databases (affecting less than 26% of organizations), exposed PostgreSQL databases, public API documentation, exposed WordPress admin panels, open Remote Desktop services, and SNMP, UPnP, NTP, and RPC services. These issues indicate that many organizations still expose systems that should remain internal.

Larger organizations face greater security complexity

Larger organizations tend to face greater exposure risks, with 54% of small businesses reporting at least one security issue compared to 70% of mid-sized companies. As organizations grow, the number of Internet-facing assets increases sharply, which makes security management significantly more complex.

Remediation speed varies significantly by organization size, with smaller companies resolving issues the fastest (typically within 14 to 18 days). Mid-sized organizations experience the greatest delays, with fixes taking an average of 56 days. Moreover, larger enterprises tend to improve again, likely due to having more resources, established processes, and advanced security capabilities.

Continuous monitoring becomes essential for security

This report suggests that organizations should shift their focus from only fixing vulnerabilities to actively reducing what is exposed to the Internet in the first place. A key recommendation is to continuously identify all Internet-facing assets, including overlooked systems like admin panels, databases, and internal services, and then remove or restrict access to anything that does not need to be publicly available. Organizations can minimize unnecessary exposure to significantly reduce the chances of attackers exploiting weaknesses, even before those weaknesses are formally discovered.

Additionally, organizations are encouraged to adopt an ongoing monitoring approach rather than treating security as a one-time task. This involves regularly tracking changes in their attack surface, prioritizing the most critical risks, and improving response times through better tools and processes. The report also implies that investing in stronger security resources, especially for mid-sized companies, can help close the gap in remediation speed and overall protection. This makes it easier to manage complex and expanding digital environments.