MCNC Expands the coverage of attack surface monitoring technology to help various institutions in North Carolina protect digital blind spots
Proactive network security solutions provide continuous visibility and real-time alerts, serving organizations such as schools and municipal institutions, without being restricted by network service providers.
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, November 9, 2026 / PRNewswire / -- As various institutions in North Carolina rapidly expand their digital footprint, each new cloud service, remote connection, or forgotten subdomain can become a blind spot that criminals may exploit. To help community organizations shift from passive network security to active control, MCNC is now extending its Attack Surface Monitoring ( ASM ) solution to organizations throughout the state, including those that may not be connected to MCNC's extensive network.
MCNC indicates that its attack surface monitoring is like a continuously operating radar, mapping the entire external network of an organization from the perspective that malicious intruders might have. This service combines advanced threat intelligence with external discovery tools to identify unknown, vulnerable, and/or misconfigured digital assets, enabling the IT team to lock down these assets in real-time before they can be exploited.
According to MCNC, for a long time, all K-12 school districts, community colleges in North Carolina, as well as the University of North Carolina system, have trusted its services. Today, MCNC is extending its ASM services to private colleges and universities, municipal institutions, and other community organizations, providing them with a "high-value, low-cost" entry point to enhance their own security posture.
MCNC, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Director of Sales and Product Portfolio Management, James Nester said: "What you cannot see, you cannot protect; and as the network expands, so does the risk of security vulnerabilities occurring in overlooked digital assets. Many IT teams are understaffed. Attack surface monitoring provides a crucial second set of eyes for your defenses, enhancing your team's security capabilities without imposing a heavy operational burden. Moreover, since you can use this service without needing to connect to our network, it is a simple starting point for anyone who wishes to collaborate with MCNC to establish a more resilient cybersecurity strategy."
MCNC indicates that its ASM platform can automatically detect shadow IT, isolated domains, and exposed ports, and prioritize alerts based on actual availability. This helps to reduce noise, allowing the IT team to focus on fixing critical vulnerabilities.
The company cited a recent real-world scenario where, during routine adjustments to a firewall, a school district inadvertently exposed internal vulnerabilities to the outside world. MCNC's attack surface monitoring system promptly detected this exposure and immediately alerted the IT personnel at that school, allowing them to close the gap before significant losses or data breaches occurred.
MCNC Chief Information Security Officer ( CISO ) Chris Beal says: "Imagine you are responsible for managing security in a large campus or municipal complex, and people keep adding new doors and windows without updating the blueprint. Our ASM solution continuously redraws this blueprint from the outside, identifying those hidden and unlocked doors. Whether there is continuous external visibility when an accidental configuration error occurs determines whether the problem can be quickly and quietly resolved, or whether it will escalate into a major incident."
MCNC indicates that for organizations that wish to uncover complex vulnerabilities or require expert assistance to address security gaps, this new ASM service serves as a complement to their continuously expanding portfolio of cybersecurity products. It provides customers with hands-on support to remediate risks and strengthen long-term governance.
MCNC indicates that for further information about their attack surface monitoring services or to schedule a consultation, you can visit mcnc.org / solutions / attack-surface-monitoring, or view the complete range of cybersecurity solutions available at MCNC.
About MCNC
MCNC is a customer-centric 501(c)(3) non-profit technology organization founded in 1980. MCNC owns and operates the North Carolina Research and Education Network ( NCREN ), which is one of the longest-running regional research and education networks in the United States. MCNC states that, with over 45 years of innovation experience, the company provides high-performance services to North Carolina's institutions in education, research, libraries, healthcare, public safety, and other key community sectors.
According to MCNC, NCREN serves as the foundational broadband infrastructure for over 850 institutions mentioned above, including all public K-20 educational institutions in North Carolina. As one of the leading mid-range fiber optic backbone networks in the United States, MCNC utilizes NCREN to provide each customer with customized, protected internet services, network security, and related applications. It also supports private service providers in offering cost-effective connectivity services to rural areas and underserved communities in North Carolina.
Access: www.mcnc.org. Social media platforms for MCNC: Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn.
