Adversarial Exposure Validation (AEV) :
Proving Your Defenses,
Mastering Your Risk in the Era of Continuous Exposure

AEV moves beyond assumptions, providing a continuous, evidence-based approach to prove your security controls are effective against real-world threats.

What is AEV?

Defined by Gartner, as technologies thatuses continuous, automated attacksimulations to provide concrete evidencethat an organizations security exposuresare real and exploitable.

At digiDations, we see AEV as fundamental to a robust, adaptive, and demonstrably effective security strategy. Our AI-powered validation platform, ATLAS, is engineered to provide this continuous assurance.

Demonstrating True Effectiveness

Cultivating Verifiable Confidence

Enabling Proactive
Defense

Optimizing Security Resources

The AEV Evolution

Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS)

BAS solutions helped simulate common attack techniques to test the effectiveness of security controls like firewalls, EDR, and email security.

Adversarial Exposure Validation (AEV)

Gartner now uses the term Adversarial Exposure Validation (AEV) to describe technologies that deliver consistent, continuous, and automated evidence of the feasibility of an attack.

Gartner states AEV replaces BAS and automated penetration testing/red teaming technology in their market categorization.

Why the Evolution?

AEV solutions encompass a wider range of validation techniques and outcomes. They focus not just on individual control testing but on understanding the broader exposure landscape, validating entire attack paths, and integrating more deeply into an organization’s overall risk management and Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) programs.

Where does AEV fit into CTEM:
Adopting Industry Best Practices

Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM)

Gartner’s Emphasis: CTEM is defined as a “pragmatic and systemic program to continuously identify, validate, and prioritize the remediation of threat exposures.”

Adversarial Exposure Validation (AEV)

Gartner’s Market Definition: AEV technologies “confirm how potential attack techniques would successfully exploit an organization and circumvent prevention and detection security controls.”

Benefits of AEV

Robust Compliance & Confident Audits

Provide auditors with empirical evidence that security controls mandated by standards (PCI DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001) are not just present but are actively and effectively working.

Enhanced Incident Readiness & Response

Continuously test and refine IR playbooks, SOC team responsiveness, and tool efficacy by simulating realistic breach scenarios, ensuring preparedness for actual incidents.

Proactive Threat Simulation & Adversary Emulation

Leverage the extensive threat intelligence library within ATLAS to simulate attacks from specific APT groups or based on emerging TTPs, proactively identifying and closing defensive gaps.

Ready to See AEV in Action?

Request a Demo

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