What is vulnerability management?

Purpose of the process

The main goal of vulnerability management is to ensure that an organization is aware of existing vulnerabilities in its IT systems and takes appropriate action to remediate them or minimize the associated risks before they can be exploited to launch an attack. This process helps maintain an adequate level of security in a dynamic IT environment where new vulnerabilities are discovered almost daily.

Stages of the vulnerability management cycle

The vulnerability management process is cyclical and usually involves the following steps:

• Discovery (Discovery): Identify all IT assets in the organization (servers, workstations, network devices, applications) and create their current inventory.
• Scanning (Scanning): Regularly conducting vulnerability scans using specialized tools (vulnerability scanners, e.g., Nessus, Qualys, OpenVAS) that check systems for known security vulnerabilities (e.g., missing patches, configuration errors, outdated software).
• Assessment & Analysis (Assessment & Analysis): Analysis of scan results, verification of identified vulnerabilities (elimination of false positives) and assessment of their criticality and potential impact on the organization. It takes into account, among other things, the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) assessment system.
• Prioritization (Prioritization): Prioritize remediation efforts based on risk assessment – vulnerabilities with the highest criticality and greatest potential impact should be addressed first.
• Removal/Mitigation (Remediation): Taking action to remove vulnerabilities (e.g., installing security patches – patching, changing configurations) or mitigating risks (e.g., implementing additional security controls, network segmentation) if immediate removal is not possible.
• Verification (Verification): Conducting re-scans to confirm that vulnerabilities have been successfully remediated.
• Reporting and monitoring: Continuously monitor security status, generate reports for management and technical teams, and track progress on vulnerability remediation.

Difference between vulnerability management and penetration testing

Vulnerability management and penetration testing are two complementary but different processes. Vulnerability management is an ongoing, broader process aimed at identifying known vulnerabilities using scanners. Penetration testing is more targeted, time-limited and aims not only to identify, but also to try to exploit vulnerabilities (known and unknown) to demonstrate real risks. Vulnerability management answers the question “What vulnerabilities do we have?” while pentests answer “Can these vulnerabilities be exploited to break in?”.

Tools and automation

Effective large-scale vulnerability management requires the use of specialized tools (scanners, vulnerability management platforms) and the automation of many steps in the process, such as scanning, reporting and integration with task management systems (e.g., Jira) to track remediation efforts.

Summary

Vulnerability management is an indispensable, ongoing process in any organization concerned about cyber security. By systematically identifying, assessing and remediating security vulnerabilities, you can significantly reduce the risk of a successful attack and protect your company’s valuable information assets. This is the foundation for building resilience to threats in today’s digital world.