Which term refers to parts of a network or computer system that can be exploited for an attack?

• A. Asset
• B. Attenuation
• C. Attack Surface
• D. Backup

Answer: (C)

Attack surface refers to all points in a network or system where an attacker could attempt to exploit a vulnerability. This includes exposed services, open ports, misconfigurations, weak or leaked credentials, insecure APIs, unpatched software, and even user-facing interfaces. Understanding the attack surface helps you see why reducing exposed entry points—such as closing unused ports, disabling unnecessary services, patching promptly, enforcing strong authentication, and validating input—lower the overall risk. For context, an asset is something valuable to protect, but it’s not the set of exposure points. Attenuation is about signal loss, not security exposure, and a backup is a recovery copy, not a vulnerability surface.