Transforming Threat Management with Censys' ServiceNow Integrations

Managing and protecting an organization's attack surface is now a need in the always changing digital ecosystem, not a choice. As a trusted partner of Censys, Pipeline is here to guide you through integrating this powerful feature and understanding its impact on your business.

Constant influx of shadow IT, misconfigurations, and vulnerabilities expose businesses to increasingly complicated and resource-draining threats. Now enter Censys' most recent integrations with ServiceNow, where customers can now integrate ServiceNow IT Service Management (ITSM), Vulnerability Response (VR), and CMDB solutions with Censys to streamline ticketing, vulnerability prioritization, and asset management workflows between the two platforms.

By means of this integration, Censys' strong online intelligence now directly feeds into ServiceNow's IT Service Management (ITMS), Vulnerability Response (VR), and Configuration Management Database (CMDB).  

Let's explore the specifics of these integrations, their importance, and how security teams might use them for quicker, more intelligent threat management.

‍

The Core Challenge: Complexity in Security Workflows

Security teams often juggle fragmented tools that:

• Operate in isolated environments.

• Provide inconsistent formats of data.

• Lack real-time synchronization for vulnerabilities.

These inefficiencies result in delayed threat response, poor collaboration between IT and security teams, and mismanaged assets—exposing businesses to critical cyber risks. A recent IBM report found that poor alignment of security tools with operational workflows is a major cause of threat response delays.

To address this, Censys' partnership with ServiceNow creates an integrated system that consolidates workflows, enhances visibility, and enables actionable threat intelligence—all in one streamlined platform.

What Exactly Does this Integration Solve?

Unified Asset Management and Vulnerability Visibility

By integrating Censys Attack Surface Management (ASM) with ServiceNow ITSM, VR, and CMDB:

• External Assets (including shadow IT and misconfigured cloud assets) discovered by Censys are automatically reflected in ServiceNow CMDB.

• Vulnerabilities associated with these assets are prioritized and mapped within ServiceNow VR.

• IT and security teams gain a unified view of both internal and external assets, eliminating blind spots.

Automated Incident Creation for Risk Prioritization

Security teams can now:

1. Create tickets in ServiceNow directly from risks discovered in Censys ASM.

2. Include detailed risk context—severity, impacted assets, and recommended actions.

3. Enable incident responders to take action immediately without switching platforms.

This automation reduces manual processes, enhances collaboration, and accelerates response times.

Breaking Down the Integrations: How It Works

1. ServiceNow ITSM Integration

The IT Service Management (ITSM) integration enables streamlined ticket creation and management:

• Users can create tickets for specific vulnerabilities directly from Censys ASM.

• Key ticket details such as sys_id, incident state, and short descriptions are pulled into ServiceNow.

• Ticket updates (e.g., state changes) automatically sync between ServiceNow and Censys.

Steps to Integrate ITSM with Censys ASM:

1. Log in to Censys ASM and navigate to Integrations.

2. Select ServiceNow > Set Up.

3. Provide your ServiceNow instance name and admin credentials.

4. Authenticate using Username/Password.

5. Connect, submit, and you're live!

With this setup, every risk becomes a trackable, manageable incident within ServiceNow.

2. ServiceNow VR Integration

The Vulnerability Response (VR) integration supports real-time triage and prioritization of vulnerabilities. It works by:

• Syncing Censys-discovered vulnerabilities and severity metrics into ServiceNow VR.

• Mapping risks to ServiceNow Vulnerable Items, providing detailed context for better prioritization.

• Aligning exposures with actionable recommendations to facilitate remediation.

Why It Matters: Security teams can focus on what matters most by prioritizing high-risk vulnerabilities instead of being overwhelmed by sheer volume.

Steps to Integrate VR with Censys ASM:

1. Visit the Censys ASM App page on the ServiceNow Store.

2. Follow the Installation Guide for setup.

3. Configure synchronization frequency and filter priority data.

3. ServiceNow CMDB Integration

The Configuration Management Database (CMDB), now a part of Censys Integration Marketplace centralizes asset data, providing visibility into external threats:

• Censys Internet Intelligence feeds real-time data about external assets (IP addresses, domains, cloud misconfigurations) into the CMDB.

• IT and security teams can track these assets alongside internal systems.

• Assets are updated automatically, ensuring teams act on the latest, most relevant information.

Did You Know? Shadow IT accounts for nearly 40% of cybersecurity incidents in enterprises. With this integration, shadow assets are no longer hidden risks—they become actionable insights.

Why This Integration Is a Game-Changer

1. Reduced Threat Response Time: Automation eliminates delays caused by manual processes and poor tool alignment.

2. Enhanced Collaboration: IT and security teams now operate within a single, unified platform.

3. Comprehensive Asset Visibility: Gain a real-time, contextualized view of both internal and external attack surfaces.

4. Simplified Security Ecosystem: Consolidate workflows without introducing more tools.

5. Actionable Insights: Prioritize risks, generate incidents, and track remediation all in one place.

Pablo Stern, SVP of Technology Workflow Products at ServiceNow, summarizes it best:

“This integration helps ensure that external assets discovered by Censys, including shadow IT, are automatically reflected in the CMDB and vulnerabilities associated with these assets are identified and managed in VR.”

Example Use Case: Real-World Scenario

Imagine a global enterprise struggling with frequent cloud misconfigurations and undiscovered external assets:

• Before Integration: Security teams manually track risks in disparate systems, often missing critical threats due to misalignment.

• After Integration:

• Censys discovers shadow IT and misconfigured assets.

• ServiceNow CMDB reflects these assets in real-time.

• High-severity vulnerabilities are prioritized in ServiceNow VR.

• Incidents are automatically created in ITSM for immediate response.

With Censys and ServiceNow working together, the enterprises can their mean time to respond (MTTR) significantly.

Final Thoughts by Pipeline

Organizations cannot afford to operate in silos in the threat environment of today. Combining Censys ASM with ServiceNow ITSM, VR, and CMDB gives companies an unmatched edge in controlling, prioritizing, and risk reduction.

This integration doesn’t just improve security operations—it transforms them. By centralizing workflows, automating incident creation, and ensuring visibility across the attack surface, businesses can operate with confidence in a digital-first world.

Ready to Simplify Your Security Ecosystem?

Learn more about Censys' integration with ServiceNow and how it can streamline your threat management. Visit Censys Integrations Marketplace or contact Pipeline for tailored support.

FAQs

1. What data does Censys sync into ServiceNow?

Censys syncs asset details, vulnerability metrics, incident states, and shadow IT insights into ServiceNow ITSM, VR, and CMDB.  

2. How long does it take to set up the integration?

The integration can be deployed in less than 15 minutes via Censys' Integrations Marketplace.  

3. Can I filter data during the sync process?

Yes, Censys allows you to configure timing, frequency, and filters to focus on priority assets.  

4. Does the integration work for enterprises of all sizes?

Absolutely. Whether you’re a small IT team or a large enterprise, Censys' integration scales to meet your needs.  

5. How does this integration improve incident management?

It automates ticket creation, ensures real-time updates, and centralizes all asset and vulnerability data for faster remediation.

‍