The following article summarizes a recent SC webcast discussion between Host Jackie McGuire and Daniel Daraban, Senior Director of Product Management at Bitdefender. They discussed a blueprint for building a security posture that aligns to the specific risk profile of individual organizations.
The challenge of unique security needs
Organizations face increasingly sophisticated cyber threats that demand more nuanced security approaches. Daraban highlighted a critical problem: Most security solutions are still designed with a generic, one-size-fits-all mentality.
In reality, each enterprise has unique risk profiles that require personalized protection strategies.
Attackers have become more interactive and automated. They now leverage trusted tools and infrastructure management systems to infiltrate networks, often hiding in places traditional security tools overlook. A recent Bitdefender cybersecurity assessment revealed that 67% of respondents believe reducing attack surfaces by disabling unnecessary tooling is crucial, while over a third struggle to prevent legitimate tool misuse.
Introducing proactive hardening
To address these challenges, Bitdefender developed Phaser (Proactive Hardening and Attack Surface Reduction), which learns and adapts to specific user behaviors across different devices and roles within an organization.
Instead of applying broad, inflexible policies, Phaser creates customized security configurations that understand how individual users interact with their technology. For instance, if a user never uses PowerShell, Phaser can completely restrict its access.
For users who occasionally use specific tools, it can limit their usage to only approved, non-malicious methods. This granular approach significantly reduces potential attack vectors while maintaining operational efficiency.
Real-world impact and future vision
Bitdefender’s approach has already demonstrated tangible benefits for its customers, Daraban said. In one case, a customer discovered 196 applications across executive machines that were never used.
After implementing Phaser and restricting these applications, no one complained—highlighting how many unnecessary access points exist in typical enterprise environments.
Looking forward, Daraban anticipates continued evolution toward more personalized security policies. With emerging technologies like AI and autonomous agents, the need for precise, adaptable security mechanisms becomes even more critical.
By focusing on proactively reducing attack surfaces and providing intelligent, context-aware protection, he said organizations can move from reactive defense to strategic prevention.
