Vulnerability management brings structure and precision to an organization’s security posture. It also enables teams to achieve goals related to specific security frameworks or compliance requirements.
Vulnerability scanning identifies vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit to access sensitive business data and systems. The vulnerability assessment phase then assigns a risk rating to those assets to create an objective prioritization rubric.
Increased Security
Cybercriminals are constantly changing their tactics. With new vulnerabilities discovered daily and the average data breach cost at an all-time high, businesses must be one step ahead.
Vulnerability management is an ongoing process that helps organizations identify, prioritize and understand software issues and misconfigurations based on the risk they pose to their business. It helps teams make informed decisions and achieve compliance frameworks such as PCI or HIPAA.
Increased Productivity
Vulnerability management solutions create a framework to prioritize and treat threats. It lays the foundation for long-term vulnerability management specific to every business’s operations and needs.
A scanning tool identifies vulnerabilities, and a team creates an objective prioritization rubric for each. It can include a variety of factors, including CVE rating, impact on the organization, and what kind of asset it is—like an executive laptop or customer help desk system.
Increased Customer Satisfaction
Managers and executives can see how well the company performs when a business has an ongoing vulnerability management process. This information can be helpful when justifying additional staff or more tooling to help with the process.
Vulnerabilities found in software can be incredibly dangerous and should be fixed as quickly as possible. It will reduce the risk of data breaches, which could result in lost revenue and reputation.
When informed of project outcomes, stakeholders can provide the right support and encouragement for cybersecurity initiatives. It includes ensuring that teams are given enough resources to remediate vulnerabilities.
Remediation is the ideal treatment for a vulnerability, as it completely fixes the flaw and prevents it from being exploited. Mitigation is less desirable but necessary when a full fix or patch isn’t available for an identified vulnerability.
Vulnerability management is an essential practice for any business. It helps businesses to define and implement best practices while reducing risk. It also provides actionable dashboards and trend reports for stakeholders.
The vulnerability management process is data- and knowledge-intensive because security teams must account for the breadth of vulnerabilities. Effective automation is critical for keeping pace with hackers.
Increased Reputation
Vulnerability management identifies, prioritizes, evaluates, and treats vulnerabilities that expose your business to cyberattacks. It helps you design a strategy to reduce your attack surface and improve security.
Some of the best vulnerability management tools help you prioritize and evaluate risks using CVSS ratings to assess their severity. These tools also provide customizable reports so your team can analyze their results and develop a strategic response.
Increased Revenue
Vulnerabilities such as misconfigurations, outdated software, and weak authorization credentials allow criminal hackers to steal data or disrupt business operations. The resulting financial costs from data breaches can be catastrophic, with companies racking up millions in lost revenue after a single incident.
Vulnerability management can help to prevent these costly cyber-attacks by identifying, prioritizing, and remediating vulnerabilities that expose critical assets to risk. This approach also enables businesses to meet compliance, such as PCI and HIPAA requirements.
The business costs associated with data breaches can be devastating to any company. Vulnerability management can reduce these costs by identifying and remediating vulnerabilities before they result in a breach.
Successful vulnerability management involves the entire organization. It requires buy-in from the cybersecurity team and leaders across business functions like finance, legal, and public relations. It ensures the process is properly prioritized and everyone understands what to look for.
Increased Market Share
New vulnerabilities are discovered daily and can result in severe cyber attacks and breaches. Vulnerability management identifies and prioritizes these software flaws and misconfigurations, allowing businesses to take action before attackers exploit them.
Effective vulnerability management assessments use objective prioritization rubrics to ensure all vulnerabilities are reviewed and patched. It helps to prevent business operations from being interrupted and provides security teams with a clear picture of their progress.
Regardless of the type of business, vulnerability management is a crucial process. It requires the involvement of multiple stakeholders and departments to ensure a successful implementation.
Cyber attackers exploit vulnerabilities and misconfigurations to access sensitive information and systems. Vulnerability management identifies and prioritizes these flaws to fix them before an attack occurs.