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Vulnerability Management Defined
Vulnerability management is the process of identifying, evaluating, treating, and reporting on security vulnerabilities in systems and the software that runs on them. This, implemented alongside with other security tactics, is vital for organizations to prioritize possible threats and minimizing their “attack surface.”
Security vulnerabilities, in turn, refer to technological weaknesses that allow attackers to compromise a product and the information it holds. This process needs to be performed continuously in order to keep up with new systems being added to networks, changes that are made to systems, and the discovery of new vulnerabilities over time.
Vulnerability Management Lifecycle
The vulnerability management lifecycle has six key phases. Organizations looking to implement or improve their vulnerability management program can follow these steps.
Discovery
Create a full asset inventory across your organization’s network. Develop a baseline for your security program by identifying vulnerabilities on an automated schedule so you can stay ahead of threats to company information.
Prioritization of assets
Assign a value to each asset group that is reflective of its criticality. This will help you understand which groups need more attention and will help streamline your decision-making process when faced with allocating resources.
Assessment
The third part of the vulnerability management lifestyle is assessing your assets to understand the risk profile of each one. This allows you to determine which risks to eliminate first based on a variety of factors, including its criticality and vulnerability threat levels as well as classification.
Reporting
Next, determine the various levels of risk associated with each asset based on your assessment results. Then, document your security plan and report known vulnerabilities.
Remediation
Now that you know which vulnerabilities are the most pressing for your business, it’s time to fix them, starting with those that pose the highest risks.
Verification and monitoring
The final phase of the vulnerability management process includes using regular audits and process follow-up to ensure that threats have been eliminated.
Vulnerability Management Benefits
Improved security and control
By regularly scanning for vulnerabilities and patching them in a timely manner, organizations can make it significantly harder for attackers to gain access to their systems. Additionally, robust vulnerability management practices can help organizations identify potential weaknesses in their security posture before attackers do.
Visibility and reporting
Vulnerability management provides centralized, accurate, and up-to-date reporting on the status of an organization’s security posture, giving IT personnel at all levels real-time visibility into potential threats and vulnerabilities.
Operational efficiencies
By understanding and mitigating security risks, businesses can minimize system downtime and protect their data. Improving the overall vulnerability management process also decreases the amount of time required to recover from any incidents that do occur.
How to manage vulnerabilities
1
Identify vulnerabilities
Scanning for vulnerabilities and misconfigurations is often at the center of a vulnerability management program. Vulnerability scanners—which are typically continuous and automated—identify weaknesses, threats, and potential vulnerabilities across systems and networks.
2
Evaluate vulnerabilities
Once potential vulnerabilities and misconfigurations are identified, they must be validated as a true vulnerability, rated according to risk, and prioritized based on those risk ratings.
3
Address vulnerabilities
After evaluation, organizations have a few options for treating known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. The best option is to remediate, which means fully fixing or patching vulnerabilities. If full remediation isn’t possible, organizations can mitigate, which means decreasing the possibility of exploitation or minimizing the potential damage. Finally, they can accept the vulnerability—for example, when the associated risk is low—and take no action.
4
Report vulnerabilities
Once vulnerabilities are treated, it’s important to document and report known vulnerabilities. Doing so helps IT personnel track vulnerability trends across their networks and ensures that organizations remain compliant with various security standards and regulations.
Why Choose CodeRedOne?
CodeRedOne helps reduce your organization’s cyber risk by identifying and categorizing network weaknesses and potential entry points for attackers. Our Vulnerability Management services ensure you gain clear visibility into the vulnerabilities that pose the biggest risks to your organization