{"id":3114,"date":"2025-05-09T17:26:38","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T17:26:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/?p=3114"},"modified":"2025-05-09T17:26:38","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T17:26:38","slug":"mapping-your-cyber-terrain-understanding-use-cases-and-how-fidelis-helps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/?p=3114","title":{"rendered":"Mapping Your Cyber Terrain: Understanding Use Cases and How Fidelis Helps"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Effective cybersecurity begins with knowing what <\/span>you\u2019re<\/span> defending. Organizations investing heavily in security tools often miss something fundamental: a comprehensive understanding of their own environment. This critical gap creates significant risk exposure that sophisticated attackers readily exploit. This article explores cyber terrain mapping<\/span>; <\/span>its importance, technical requirements, and how <\/span>Fidelis Elevate<\/a>\u00ae<\/span> addresses this essential security challenge.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Cyber Terrain Challenge<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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When adversaries target an enterprise, their first objective is to map the environment. They systematically discover assets, learn each asset\u2019s role, identify operating systems, document communication paths, catalog installed software, and find vulnerabilities. An adversary\u2019s ability to get in, lurk undetected, and study your environment directly impacts how well they can exploit your business.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, many enterprise security teams lack this same comprehensive understanding of their own terrain. According to Fidelis Security documentation: Often, enterprise security teams don\u2019t fully understand the terrain that they\u2019re trying to defend. This is especially true in modern, dynamic, and distributed hybrid-and multi-cloud environments. Instead, they rely on static network drawings and periodic asset inventories.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework emphasizes that organizations must identify, prioritize, and focus resources on the organization\u2019s high value assets (HVA) that require increased levels of protection, taking measures commensurate with the risk to such assets. Without thorough terrain mapping, this prioritization becomes practically impossible.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Modern Security Perimeters Are Constantly Evolving<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Today\u2019s cybersecurity perimeter is no longer static; it changes constantly as new cloud services are added and removed. The security perimeter is now dynamic \u2014 changing constantly as new cloud services are added and removed. Typically, cloud assets are controlled by product and project teams throughout the enterprise (otherwise referred to as Shadow IT since they were deployed outside of IT and security controls may not have been consistently applied).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

These challenges include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cloud assets provisioned outside security oversight<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>XaaS (Everything-as-a-Service) expanding the attack surface<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>BYOD devices connecting to corporate resources<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>IoT devices proliferating throughout environments<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Constantly changing cloud configurations<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Static asset inventories cannot keep pace with this level of environmental flux. By the time traditional documentation is completed, the environment has already transformed.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Impact of Limited Terrain Visibility<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\t\t\t\t\tSecurity FunctionWithout Terrain MappingWith Terrain Mapping\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThreat Detection<\/a>Limited visibility into lateral movement between unknown assetsComprehensive visibility of anomalous connections across all assetsVulnerability Management<\/a>Uniform treatment of vulnerabilities regardless of asset valueRisk-based prioritization based on asset criticality and exposureSecurity Resource AllocationDistributed security coverage across all systemsFocused protection on high-value assets and probable attack pathsIncident Response<\/a>Extended investigation timelines due to asset discovery during incidentsImmediate context enabling rapid investigation and containmentShadow IT GovernanceUnknown cloud resources operating outside security controlsComplete visibility across all provisioned cloud services\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Act Now: Secure Your Digital World-Free Expert Guide Inside!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Don\u2019t let attackers get the upper hand. Take control of your cyber terrain today.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s inside:<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFast asset discovery tips<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to spot blind spots<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProactive defense strategies<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDownload the Datasheet<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Technical Requirements for Effective Cyber Terrain Mapping<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Based on the documentation from Fidelis Security, effective cyber terrain mapping requires several key technical capabilities:<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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1. Complete Asset Discovery<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Security teams need visibility across all assets, including:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On-premises infrastructure<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Cloud-provisioned resources<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Unmanaged devices (BYOD and IoT)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Shadow IT deployments<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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As Fidelis emphasizes:<\/strong> You <\/span>can\u2019t<\/span> protect what you <\/span>can\u2019t<\/span> see. To better safeguard your data and assets, you need to understand what you have, <\/span>identify<\/span> points of exposure or vulnerability, and proactively analyze critical areas to prioritize any security weakness.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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2. Automated Asset Classification<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Manual classification doesn\u2019t scale in dynamic environments. Systems must automatically:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Identify asset roles (workstation, web server, file server, etc.)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Detect operating systems and versions<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Inventory installed applications<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Define subnet relationships<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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3. Communication Path Mapping<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Understanding how systems communicate reveals potential attack paths and segmentation opportunities, including:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ports and protocols used between assets<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Subnet definitions and boundaries<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Normal vs. anomalous communication patterns<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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4. Risk Contextualization<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Not all assets have equal value or risk exposure. Effective mapping must incorporate:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Business importance of each asset<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Available security coverage<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Vulnerability assessment<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Alert history<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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According to Fidelis:<\/strong> CFO and HR systems are more valuable targets than marketing and email servers, file servers, and application servers are bigger targets than user laptops.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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5. Continuous Monitoring<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Point-in-time snapshots quickly become obsolete. Terrain mapping must be:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Persistent<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Automated<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Dynamic<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Responsive to environmental changes<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Fidelis Elevate\u00ae’s Terrain-Based Defense Approach<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Fidelis Elevate\u00ae<\/span> addresses these challenges through an active XDR (<\/span>eXtended<\/span> Detection and Response) platform specifically designed for terrain-based defense. The platform implements multiple complementary techniques:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Comprehensive Asset Discovery<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Fidelis combines several discovery methods to build a complete terrain map:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Discover on-premises assets using passive network monitoring<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Extend visibility and terrain mapping across clouds with Fidelis CloudPassage Halo<\/a> discovery and inventory<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Active Directory integration for asset and user knowledge<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>EDR integration for enhanced endpoint details<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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This approach ensures visibility across all managed and unmanaged assets, on-premises, in clouds, and across endpoints.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Deep Session Inspection<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Fidelis employs patented Deep Session Inspection technology that provides significantly more content and context than netflow solutions. This capability:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Detects threats in nested files and documents<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Inspects encrypted traffic in real-time<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Monitors ephemeral containerized workloads<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Processes high-volume environments with an ultra-fast 20 GB 1U sensor<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Automated Classification<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Fidelis automatically classifies assets without requiring manual tagging:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Identify assets by role, operating system, connectivity, and more<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Automatically detect the operating system and role of the asset (e.g., Workstation, Web Server, File Server, Mail Server, Domain Name Server, IoT devices, and more)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Map communication paths between your assets, including which ports and protocols are used, and subnet definitions<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Multi-Dimensional Risk Analysis<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The platform applies sophisticated risk analysis across all discovered assets:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Take a multi-dimensional risk analysis approach to assets based on importance, available security coverage and threat score computed based on known vulnerabilities and alerts<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Update vulnerabilities when new software is detected and via daily updates to the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Assign vulnerability information from supported common vulnerability scanners<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Integrated Deception Technology<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Uniquely, Fidelis Elevate\u00ae incorporates deception technology that actively shapes the cyber terrain:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Create uncertainty for attackers by automatically creating and modifying a decoy network to modify the terrain<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Constantly changing environments make it difficult to distinguish real assets from decoys, allowing the defender to detect and investigate active attacks early in their life cycle<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Build resiliency into the security stack by dynamically altering exploitable terrain<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Key Use Cases for Cyber Terrain Mapping with Fidelis<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Shadow IT Discovery<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Fidelis <\/span>identifies<\/span> shadow IT that likely <\/span>isn\u2019t<\/span> properly secured by analyzing all traffic and cloud provisioning activities. This capability reveals systems <\/span>operating<\/span> outside security controls, allowing organizations to bring them under <\/span>appropriate governance<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Unmanaged Asset Protection<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The platform <\/span>identifies<\/span> unmanaged assets on your networks (e.g., BYOD and IoT devices) to fortify and defend assets without endpoint protection and\/or where <\/span>it\u2019s<\/span> not always possible or <\/span>feasible<\/span> to install EPP<\/a>\/EDR agents. This addresses a significant blind spot in many security programs.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Critical Asset Prioritization<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Fidelis helps define and prioritize your most important assets to improve fortification and protection of the most critical assets. This ensures that limited security resources focus on the organization\u2019s most valuable targets.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Continuous Vulnerability Management<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The platform provides continuous vulnerability assessment through daily updates to the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database and automatic updates when new software is detected. This <\/span>eliminates<\/a><\/span> gaps<\/a> between traditional vulnerability scans.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Defensive Terrain Manipulation<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Fidelis<\/a> creates a deception network based on a terrain map that enables decoys to be automatically installed, moved, and adapted as the terrain changes. This active approach to terrain manipulation increases attacker uncertainty while providing defenders with visibility into attack methods.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Business Benefits of Terrain-Based Cyber Defense<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Implementing comprehensive cyber terrain mapping with <\/span>Fidelis Elevate\u00ae<\/span> delivers several tangible benefits:<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Enhanced Visibility<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Organizations gain deep, contextual data that enables advanced cyber terrain mapping across your entire environment. This <\/span>eliminates<\/a><\/span> blind spots<\/a> that attackers <\/span>frequently<\/span> exploit.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Accelerated Detection<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Fidelis detects risks that other tools miss<\/span>; <\/span>faster and in less rack space. This speed advantage helps organizations <\/span>identify<\/span> and respond to threats before <\/span>significant damage<\/span> occurs.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Optimized Security Operations<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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By automatically piec<\/span>e[<\/span>ing<\/span>]<\/span> together weak signals and set[ting] thresholds for alerts, Fidelis helps <\/span>eliminate<\/span> alert fatigue with high-fidelity conclusions. This improves SOC efficiency<\/a> and effectiveness.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Proactive Defense Posture<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Rather than reacting to attacks after they occur, organizations can <\/span>anticipate<\/span>, <\/span>detect<\/span> and respond to threats faster by shifting security analysts to a more proactive approach.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Business Continuity Improvement<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The platform helps organizations promote cyber resiliency by <\/span>maintaining<\/span> business continuity through an active attack and enables them to return impacted systems to normal business operations as quickly as possible.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Conclusion: Terrain Mapping as Foundation for Cyber Defense<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Understanding cyber terrain is not optional, it\u2019s the essential first step in effective cyber defense. Understanding your Environment is the First Step in Cyber Defense\u2026 Understanding is the first step in both offense (adversary) and defense (you).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Organizations lacking comprehensive terrain visibility face significant disadvantages when defending against sophisticated adversaries. Fidelis Elevate\u00ae\u2018s terrain-based approach provides the visibility, context, and automated analysis needed to protect modern enterprise environments. By mapping and continuously assessing the cyber terrain, organizations can shift from reactive to proactive security postures, anticipating and mitigating threats before they cause damage.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As digital transformation initiatives continue expanding attack surfaces and adversaries grow increasingly sophisticated, thoroughly understanding and defending your cyber terrain will remain a defining characteristic of resilient organizations.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The post Mapping Your Cyber Terrain: Understanding Use Cases and How Fidelis Helps<\/a> appeared first on Fidelis Security<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Effective cybersecurity begins with knowing what you\u2019re defending. Organizations investing heavily in security tools often miss something fundamental: a comprehensive understanding of their own environment. This critical gap creates significant risk exposure that sophisticated attackers readily exploit. This article explores cyber terrain mapping; its importance, technical requirements, and how Fidelis Elevate\u00ae addresses this essential security […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3114"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3114"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3114\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}