A recent report published by GreyNoise on July 31 has brought new urgency to how organizations view and respond to emerging cyber threats. The study reveals a disconcerting trend: in 80% of observed cases, attackers began targeting enterprise edge devices—such as VPN gateways and firewalls—weeks before relevant vulnerabilities were made public and assigned a Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) identifier.
Pre-Disclosure Attacker Activity
According to the GreyNoise analysis, malicious activity often surges ahead of the public disclosure of security flaws in critical infrastructure. This pattern indicates that bad actors are not only quick to identify previously unknown weaknesses, but are often exploiting them well before defenders have an opportunity to patch systems or raise broader awareness within the security community.
Focus on Enterprise Edge Technologies
The report emphasizes that enterprise edge technologies are particularly at risk. These devices, which serve as gateways and protect organizational networks, are frequent targets for attackers seeking initial access. Due to their pivotal role in network security, vulnerabilities in these systems can have significant consequences if exploited before patches or mitigations are available.
Implications for Security Strategy
The findings stress the necessity for organizations to adopt a proactive approach to threat detection and response. Rather than relying solely on announced vulnerabilities, security teams must continuously monitor for abnormal activity—such as unexplained spikes in scanning or targeted attacks—that could indicate the presence of undisclosed (zero-day) vulnerabilities.
