Effectively managing a Vulnerability Management Program (VMP) can often feel challenging. Sudden critical vulnerabilities can emerge on the Internet with little to no warning, while software patching may lag behind and configuration adjustments might unintentionally undermine your infrastructure’s security for extended periods of time.
This blog post aims to provide you with some optimism through vulnerability scanning services and our up-to-date guidance on how to select and utilize them. By transforming a common method used by attackers into a strategic defensive measure, you can strengthen your resistance against many prevalent vulnerabilities.
Who Should Utilize Vulnerability Scanning?
So, who stands to benefit from utilizing a vulnerability scanning service? Any business or organization that relies on IT systems to interact with other systems or individuals qualifies. This encompasses both internal connections within a private network and external interactions over the Internet.
Admittedly, this may appear to cast a wide net. However, in our digital age, services frequently need to be accessible from various locations by diverse users continuously. The surge in remote connections, particularly due to COVID-19, has made this accessibility essential. Sadly, enhancing such communication channels can inadvertently open the door to potential cyber threats.
There are many scenarios in which vulnerability scanning can prove beneficial. For instance, if your company develops and manages a large enterprise application, how do you mitigate the risk of inadvertently introducing vulnerabilities through insecure coding practices or third-party components with known security flaws?
If your systems handle sensitive information, such as payment card details or other Personally Identifiable Information, how do you ensure compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) or other necessary protections mandated by relevant standards and certification organizations?
As a final example, if you have a Bring Your Own Device policy, how can you ensure devices connecting to your corporate network run on a modern and well-supported Operating System with updated anti-virus software and the latest security patches?
The Importance of Vulnerability Scanning
Cybercriminals routinely employ automated tools to search for exploitable vulnerabilities. It stands to reason that we can also harness such practices within our own networks to stay a step ahead.
Numerous vulnerability scanning services are available, capable of promptly and cost-effectively conducting automated assessments of prevalent vulnerabilities within your infrastructure or applications.
By scheduling these scans regularly, you can ensure you are aware of new vulnerabilities as they arise and address them before they can be discovered and exploited by would-be attackers.
Value-Added Features
Many Vulnerability Scanning solutions offer features that support other aspects of your VMP. For example, some might include asset discovery capabilities, aiding you in identifying and monitoring the hosts owned by your organization. Others could have the functionality to export findings directly into your issue tracking solution, facilitating coordinated remediation efforts among teams and individuals.
Scanners designed for software development can integrate seamlessly into your existing development tools or build pipeline, catching insecure programming practices as the code is created or when new versions are built.
Understanding the Limitations of Vulnerability Scanning
While automated tools are vital to a solid Vulnerability Management Program, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that merely conducting a scan daily will fend off attackers.
Vulnerability Scanning solutions rely heavily on their underlying knowledge bases and rulesets. If a vulnerability is too specific, obscure, or recently disclosed, it is likely to go undetected. Incorrect deployment could also result in vulnerabilities being missed for various reasons.
While a clean scan report is certainly more favorable than one riddled with findings, relying solely on this can create a false sense of security regarding your actual risk level. In terms of thoroughness and quality of testing, automated scanners cannot match the expertise of skilled human testers.
Thus, consider Vulnerability Scanning to be an affordable and efficient means of managing the more common security risks, allowing you to allocate time and resources for more in-depth manual testing. Conducting regular penetration tests in conjunction with your vulnerability scan results can help reveal any systemic weaknesses in your vulnerability scanning practices.
Choosing the Right Vulnerability Scanning Solution
Vulnerability Scanning solutions come in many varieties. The appropriate one(s) for you will depend on several factors, including the size and nature of your IT environment, pricing and hosting models, and features that align with your current VMP.
Our recently released guidance will assist you in understanding the different types of vulnerability scanners available, when and how to use them most effectively, and what to watch for when selecting such products or services.
Richard D
Lead Security Engineer
