Introdution

As organizations grow more connected, the greatest cyber risk may no longer come from the outside - but from within.

The New Frontier of Cyber and Physical Security

In today’s connected environments, cybersecurity doesn’t stop at the firewall.

Every wireless signal, every personal device, and every person inside a facility can become part of what we call the Proximity Attack Surface - the space where physical presence and digital risk intersect.

That’s exactly what PASM (Proximity Attack Surface Management) was designed to manage.

It’s both a discipline and a technology framework that gives organizations visibility and control over what happens in their airspace - across WiFi, Bluetooth, and IoT activity within and around their facilities.

And recently, one incident demonstrated just how critical that visibility can be.

A Routine Alert That Wasn’t Routine at All

At one of the country’s most prestigious visitor-facing facilities, an unusual wireless signal appeared on the Pryvaxy PASM™ dashboard.

What seemed like a minor irregularity quickly escalated into a Twin Evil WiFi attack - taking place inside the facility itself.

The PASM platform identified the rogue broadcast and correlated it with the building’s legitimate infrastructure.

Following the alert, the monitoring team initiated a containment procedure, using the system’s WIPS capabilities together with its advanced location engine to guide the on-site security team precisely to the source of the malicious signal.

Behind a decorative panel near the main entrance - a lively area filled with cafés and visitors - the team found a small, unauthorized access point.

And the source?

Not an external hacker, but a maintenance employee.

He had quietly brought a personal device from home, configured it to mimic the facility’s official WiFi network, and left it running.

Within hours, over 150 visitors had unknowingly connected to it - exposing their devices and data to interception.

One insider, one hidden device - and a full-scale privacy and regulatory risk that could have spiraled into lawsuits and reputational damage.

When the Threat Comes from Within

This wasn’t an isolated case.

At Israel’s main international airport, a service contractor was recently caught installing hidden cameras inside public restrooms - another chilling reminder that internal access can be weaponized against privacy and trust.

Different tools, same essence: the threat originated from inside.

These incidents underline an uncomfortable truth: physical presence has become part of the cyber domain.

And many organizations still lack the visibility to detect threats that emerge in their own physical airspace.

The New Perimeter: Airspace

For years, organizations have secured their digital perimeters - firewalls, endpoint controls, encryption.

But few have real-time insight into what happens across their wireless and proximity layers - the invisible channels that connect (and sometimes expose) everyone within their environment.

A rogue WiFi network.

A Bluetooth data collector.

A forgotten IoT sensor still transmitting.

These don’t appear in traditional security logs, yet they can trigger real-world privacy and compliance issues within minutes.

Proximity Attack Surface Management changes that equation - bridging the gap between cybersecurity, physical security, and privacy governance, and creating a unified operational domain for all three.

When the Insider Is the Attack Surface

When proximity-based threats are initiated by visitors, detection and containment are often straightforward.

But when they originate from employees or contractors, the stakes rise dramatically.

Now the question isn’t just “How did it happen?” - it’s “Who’s accountable?”

The response shifts from an IT incident to a governance challenge involving legal, compliance, and executive teams.

The PASM framework helps organizations navigate that shift - giving CISO and CSO teams the shared visibility and coordination they need to respond swiftly and decisively, before harm escalates.

Looking Ahead

Proximity threats are no longer theoretical.

They’re part of everyday reality across corporate campuses, hotels, airports, and retail spaces.

As the physical and digital worlds continue to merge, trust itself has become part of the attack surface.

Managing that trust - wisely, transparently, and continuously - is no longer optional.

It’s the next frontier of enterprise security.

Pryvaxy

Redefining Proximity Security.