What are your thoughts on vulnerability management? In the last month, we’ve seen several blogs on the subject, as well as a webinar with one of our security consultants, but the truth is that everyone views this issue differently. Vulnerability management encompasses a wide range of activities, from scanning and assessments to prioritisation and patching, however it is not and should never be viewed as:
1. A list of your network’s random vulnerabilities
2. A ranking based on CVSS scores
3. A list of vulnerabilities that are unique to each person.
4. An annual or biannual procedure
When preparing and protecting against exploits and breaches, true vulnerability management considers all of these factors and more. Today, I’d want to share three new perspectives on vulnerability management with you that you may not have considered previously and that could help you improve your process.
Vulnerability Management Plans Customized for Your Company
What should you do now that you’ve gathered all of the scanner data and have a list of all known vulnerabilities in your network? The most common approach is to rank them according to their CVSS score and begin patching.
All of this should be considered when ranking your vulnerabilities because it all contributes to the uniqueness of your network. You will have a better understanding of how each of these liabilities can affect you if you go the extra mile to investigate them.
Attack Routes
Consider how your vulnerabilities interact both individually and with one another within the context of your larger infrastructure when ranking them. Bad actors no longer consider hacking with a single tool; instead, they consider an attack vector that includes vulnerabilities, exploits, and whatever other tools they need to access to your sensitive data.Remember that attackers and their approaches are not the same. Make sure you’re utilising every tool at your disposal to stop them. CVSS scores alone aren’t enough; understanding how vulnerabilities interact across the attack path to the crucial data storage ensures that vulnerabilities are prioritised more effectively.
Continuous Vulnerability Assessments and Penetration Testing
Some regulations indicate that you just need to perform one penetration test per year and undertake vulnerability assessments every two years. But I’m here to warn you that this cadence is insufficient. Cyber-security has reached the boardroom, and your executives want to know how well your systems are working.
You need to know what is on your network at all times, much more than baseline reporting, because testing merely a few times a year will only provide you a limited picture in time. Continuous network monitoring will provide you with not just an up-to-date evaluation, but also patterns that identify prospective regions of vulnerability beyond specific vulnerabilities. Change happens quickly in cybersecurity, and continual monitoring, patching, and testing is the only way to ensure that your network’s attack surface is genuinely reduced.