CTEM Compared to Other Approaches
Security teams often ask how CTEM fits alongside practices they already run. The short answer: CTEM is a program structure, not a replacement for your existing tools or processes. It provides the operating model that connects discovery, prioritization, validation, and remediation into a continuous cycle.
These comparisons help clarify where CTEM overlaps with other approaches, where it differs, and how to use them together effectively.
CTEM vs Vulnerability Management
Vulnerability management focuses on finding and patching software flaws (CVEs). CTEM expands the aperture to include identities, misconfigurations, third-party risks, and brand impersonation. More importantly, CTEM adds validation and mobilization stages that turn findings into measurable risk reduction.
If your VM program already works well, CTEM gives it better prioritization and a path to remediation that actually happens.
CTEM vs Exposure Management
"Exposure management" describes the discipline of reducing exploitable conditions across your environment. CTEM is Gartner's structured framework for doing that continuously. Think of exposure management as the goal and CTEM as a proven way to run the program.
This comparison clarifies the terminology and shows how CTEM's five stages turn exposure management from a concept into an operating rhythm.
CTEM vs EASM/CAASM
EASM (External Attack Surface Management) and CAASM (Cyber Asset Attack Surface Management) are tool categories. EASM shows what attackers can see from the internet; CAASM reconciles what your internal tools know about assets and exposures.
Both feed into CTEM's discovery stage, but CTEM provides the scoping, prioritization, validation, and mobilization that turn inventory into action. This comparison explains how to use EASM and CAASM inside a CTEM program without mistaking tools for strategy.
CTEM vs BAS
Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) tests whether your security controls actually work against specific attack techniques. It's a validation method, not a complete program.
BAS fits naturally into CTEM's validation stage. CTEM provides the scoping and prioritization that tell you what to test, plus the mobilization that ensures failed tests get fixed. This comparison shows how to embed BAS in a broader exposure management workflow.
Choosing Where to Start
If you're building a CTEM program from scratch, start with the comparison most relevant to your current situation:
- Already have a strong VM program? Read CTEM vs Vulnerability Management to see how CTEM extends what you have.
- Evaluating EASM or CAASM tools? Read CTEM vs EASM/CAASM to understand how those tools fit into a larger program.
- Running BAS or purple team exercises? Read CTEM vs BAS to connect validation to scoping and remediation.
- Confused by "exposure management" terminology? Read CTEM vs Exposure Management for a clear definition.