What is Vulnerability Management and Why its Important?
Vulnerability
management is a continual process, not only to detect risks on your network but
to create a plan to prevent those vulnerabilities from causing future damage. A
good vulnerability management system combines technology and a team of security
experts to proactively detect and act upon security risk.A vulnerability is a
weakness in your system that leaves you open to attacks. It can be caused by a
flaw in hardware, software, or in the implementation of either one, which
leaves your system open to potential risk.Many vulnerabilities are easy to
detect and fix. Most software and hardware vendors keep an eye on potential
vulnerabilities, writing and releasing patches. But as employees click to
ignore these updates or potential vulnerabilities slip through the cracks,
you’re opening yourself up to new risk and future losses.
Why
is Vulnerability Management Important?
Look
for vulnerability management software that
is reliable, easy to deploy, navigate and interpret. It should be able to
detect threats in real-time without complications.To remain competitive in
today’s market, many businesses rely on various software solutions and
applications, either developed in-house or from IT service providers. While
these options help improve efficiency and the employee and customer
experiences, they’re also prone to vulnerabilities that can put the company at
risk of a cyberattack. Implementing a successful vulnerability management program
is a necessary step in your overall IT risk management plan to protect your
business from these threats.
The
vulnerability management process
These
are the steps to follow in a vulnerability management lifecycle.
Step
1: Identifying Vulnerabilities
This
step revolves around identifying and classifying vulnerabilities.
Vulnerabilities are typically ranked using the Common Vulnerability Scoring
System (CVSS).
The
role of the CVSS is more prominent in stage two; however, what takes center
stage at this point is vulnerability scanning. Vulnerability scanning is often
done as part of a penetration testing exercise by a pentester or a security
team of penetration testers.
Step
2: Evaluating Vulnerabilities
After
the vulnerabilities have been discovered, the next step is to evaluate the
identified vulnerabilities for their degree of risk. In step 1, I briefly
mentioned CVSS and how it is used as a ranking system for cybersecurity
vulnerabilities.
Step
3:Remediating Vulnerabilities
This
step focuses on treating and mitigating the discovered vulnerabilities. Several
strategies are put in place to prioritize and eliminate vulnerabilities based
on the level of risk they pose to the business.
Step
4: Verify Vulnerabilities
This
step ensures that the threats in the system have been eliminated through
follow-up audits. Penetration testing should also be used to verify the
efficacy of the remediation measures taken. In addition, it also makes sure new
vulnerabilities weren’t inadvertently created during the process.
Step
5: Report Vulnerabilities
It
is important to document not only the discovered vulnerabilities but a security
plan on how to describe known vulnerabilities and monitor suspicious activity.
These reports are vital because they leave records that help businesses improve
their security responses in the future.
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