The new front line in website security: web exposure management [Q&A]

Website risk is no longer just about what an organization builds; it’s about everything that is connected to it. Third-party scripts and OSS, plus rapid changes enabled by ‘vibe coding’ all introduce vulnerabilities that can go unnoticed.

This calls for a new approach to website security — one that focuses on managing the complete picture of ‘web exposure’ as a core part of Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM).

To unpack this shift and what organizations need to do next, we spoke to Ysrael Gurt, co-founder and CTO at Reflectiz.

BN: How has the explosion of third-party tools and open-source components changed the landscape of website security in recent years?

YG: Websites today are stitched together from a huge number of third-party tools, open-source components, marketing pixels and dynamic tags that operate beyond IT’s direct control. Each one of these components introduces a potential attack surface, and often, no single team owns the full picture. That lack of visibility creates significant blind spots that attackers can exploit.

The pace of change makes it even harder. Third-party components update independently, open-source libraries get patched or forked daily, and new tools can be added to production pages without oversight. Without continuous monitoring, these changes quickly accumulate. Security teams need to see what is running in their environment at all times and treat these third-party components as part of the security fabric. In other words, full visibility and control are essential to staying ahead of threats in today’s fast-moving web ecosystem.

BN: Gartner predicts that organizations who prioritize Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) will reduce breaches by two-thirds by 2026. Why is focusing specifically on ‘web exposure’ so critical for today’s complex website environments?

YG: Gartner’s forecast highlights the shift we’ve needed for years: security can no longer rely on periodic scans or point-in-time assessments. Traditional website security is no longer enough. Effective protection now requires continuous alignment between what organizations believe is exposed and what is actually exposed. This is where web exposure management comes into play.

Focusing on web exposure is particularly important because the web layer is often the most visible and accessible part of your digital presence. If it’s exposed, attackers can exploit vulnerabilities to gain direct access to user sessions, sensitive data, or underlying systems. Traditional security tools often miss subtle misconfigurations, third-party scripts, or shadow IT assets, leaving organizations at risk.

Continuous detection and remediation of web exposure are now essential elements of any robust security program. By proactively identifying and managing these risks, organizations can stay ahead of attackers, reduce potential attack surfaces, and protect both their customers and their brand reputation.

BN: How is vibe coding complicating website security? What new challenges or opportunities does this create for security teams?

YG: Modern development practices like vibe coding have created a reality where websites and web applications can quickly change dramatically, sometimes overnight. These rapid changes often bypass traditional security review processes, leaving gaps that attackers can exploit. Conventional security controls struggle to keep pace with this dynamic nature of modern web environments.

For security teams, this creates both challenges and opportunities. The challenge is managing a constantly shifting attack surface where manual processes can’t keep up. The opportunity lies in leveraging AI-driven visibility and analysis to maintain continuous awareness of web exposure. With the right tools, proactive threat management is not just possible but scalable.

BN: How might attackers exploit AI agents to compromise websites?

YG: We tend to trust AI agents far more than we should — and AI agents, in turn, trust the information they’re given without sufficient context to recognize what’s suspicious. In an effort to get better results, organizations often feed these agents massive volumes of data. But more data means a wider attack surface and greater exposure.

As powerful as it can be, AI is also naive. And so called ‘naive AI’ can wreak serious havoc on security through agentic use cases, creating new opportunities for hackers. Any sophisticated attacker can trick an AI agent into making a decision that leaves sensitive data or systems exposed.

BN: With websites becoming increasingly complex, what trends or technologies should security teams focus on to stay ahead of potential breaches?

YG: To keep pace with today’s dynamic web environments, security teams must adopt a combination of proactive and continuous practices. Real-time client-side monitoring is critical: tracking what scripts actually do, including things like network requests and potential data exfiltration. This ensures teams understand not just what is on the page, but what is actively happening on it.

Next, prioritizing web exposure based on business impact helps teams focus on what matters most: protecting user data, personally identifiable information (PII), and critical user flows. AI-assisted analysis and deobfuscation technologies allow security teams to uncover hidden threats quickly, reducing the time between detection and remediation.

Finally, adversarial testing and governance for client-side changes provide visibility and scoring of exposure while maintaining the pace of modern development. By combining continuous monitoring, AI-driven insights, and risk-based prioritization, security teams can stay ahead of attackers and protect their most valuable digital assets.

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