Vulnerability Management

A vulnerability scanner is a tool that helps organizations detect security vulnerabilities in their networks, systems and applications that could potentially be exploited by cybercriminals. Based on different configurations and scripts, vulnerability scanning tools run tests on assets that could be exploited. Overall, they bring to light information about the vulnerabilities in an IT environment, degrees of risk from each vulnerability and ways to mitigate a vulnerability.

Depending on the type of scan, the tool scans specific interfaces to invoke a response from the targeted devices. For example, if you want the tool to detect outdated operating system versions in your network, it will test the network devices accordingly.

Once it detects a device running on an outdated operating system, it will flag it as a vulnerability in the final scan report. Besides just identifying a vulnerability, good vulnerability scanning software also review a vulnerability against a database of vulnerabilities to classify it and assign a risk rating to it. In the end, the tool generates a report with all these details.

Internal vulnerability scans are run from the inside of an organization’s network. They detect issues such as vulnerabilities that could be exploited by a hacker who has already made it through perimeter defenses, and threats posed by malware inside a network and insider threats.

External vulnerability scans are run from outside an organization’s network, targeting areas of the IT environment exposed to the internet such as firewalls, web applications, ports and networks. They unearth vulnerabilities in perimeter defenses like open ports in a network’s firewall.

Not only is vulnerability scanning a must-do in today’s threat landscape, it is also mandated by nearly every major data protection regulation worldwide. Therefore, vulnerability scanning can’t be ignored if an organization must comply with any such standard. Here are some examples:

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): Under Article 32(1), GDPR clearly mandates “a process for regular testing, assessing and evaluation the effectiveness of technical and organizational measures.” Vulnerability scanning is such a process.

Healthcare Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): Vulnerability scanning can help organizations — both business associates and covered entities — fulfil at least six specific requirements listed in the Security Rule and Privacy Rule of HIPAA.

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS): PCI DSS clearly states that any organization dealing with cardholder data must implement a process to identify security vulnerabilities and assign a risk rank to any newly discovered vulnerabilities. Vulnerability scanning can help any organization, even if it isn’t in the finance industry, to comply with this requirement of PCI DSS.

Apart from these regulations, IT security frameworks suggest vulnerability scanning as a best practice. For example, NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework recommends vulnerability scanning for all IT systems as a part of regular IT environment assessments.

Performing vulnerability scans monthly or quarterly can lead to major blind spots and hence, which is why the Center for Internet Security (CIS) recommends weekly or more frequent scans. However, it also recommends organizations to increase patching frequency along with the scanning frequency.

Vulnerability management is the process of identifying, prioritizing, addressing, and mitigating any security vulnerabilities in a system. It involves scanning networks and systems for potential weaknesses, making sure software is updated regularly with the latest patches, and implementing measures to reduce the risk of attacks. Through regular vulnerability assessments and patching cycles, organizations can ensure their systems are protected from known threats.

Vulnerability management should be part of an organization's overall IT security strategy as it helps mitigate risks associated with cyberattacks and other malicious activities. The goal is to identify potential vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by hackers or malware. This includes assessing network configurations for errors that could lead to unauthorized access or data loss as well as ensuring all software applications are updated with the most recent security patches released by vendors.

Vulnerability management allows organizations to identify and fix potential flaws in their IT systems before they can be exploited by a malicious actor. By proactively managing vulnerabilities, organizations reduce the risk of a successful attack or data breach. Additionally, regular vulnerability assessments help keep systems up-to-date on security protocols, ensuring that all known risks are addressed quickly and efficiently.

Vulnerability management also helps organizations maintain regulatory compliance by keeping them informed about the latest security regulations and laws they must adhere to at all times.

A CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) is a publicly-disclosed vulnerability in computer systems, networks, or software applications. It provides an authoritative source of information on vulnerabilities, allowing system administrators to fix the problem quickly. By systematically identifying and cataloging reported security issues, CVE helps protect organizations from malicious threats.

CVEs are tracked by MITRE Corporation's CNA program, which assigns a unique identifier to each vulnerability and associated attack vectors. This allows individual users as well as organizations to easily search for existing vulnerabilities and determine how they affect their systems or networks. The CVE list is maintained by various government agencies such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), plus many private sector companies that collaborate with MITRE Corporation on managing the list.

A CVSS, or Common Vulnerability Scoring System, is a method of obtaining an objective score for the criticality of computer system vulnerabilities. The scoring system was designed as a means to standardize vulnerability ratings across the industry and is used by many organizations to prioritize which security flaws should be addressed first.

The CVSS score is determined by evaluating several factors including the attacker's potential access vectors, privileges required to exploit a vulnerability, user interaction needed for exploitation, and impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability of data. Depending on how these components are evaluated, a vulnerability can receive a low CVSS score indicating that it has little effect on overall system security or it can receive high scores indicating that it poses significant risk.  Organizations use this information to determine which vulnerabilities need immediate attention and take appropriate action such as patching or replacing vulnerable systems.

Enterprotect 360's vulnerability management feature is a host-based, network and external vulnerability scanning and management solution that is configured to run regular scans and produces alerts of discovered vulnerabilities. All discovered vulnerabilities are displayed both in the Enterprotect 360 console and in a web-based console which provides for advanced customization, drill-down into greater detail on vulnerabilities, management of false positives and more.

Enterprotect 360 automates vulnerability management through scheduled scanning. This ensures that all network locations are continuously scanned and managed to reduce risk. It also includes detailed remediation recommendations and instructions for most vulnerabilities, making it simple for IT professionals to understand how to fix vulnerabilities and reduce risk.

Enterprotect 360 consolidates vulnerability data from multiple scanner types by presenting the data in a single interface. This makes it easy for IT professionals to quickly identify vulnerabilities and take action.

Enterprotect 360 manages false positives by eliminating "alert fatigue" through the use of exclusion rules. This reduces "noise" so that only important and desired vulnerabilities are presented in the dashboard, reports and notifications.

Yes, Enterprotect 360 is scalable to tens of thousands of endpoints, which means that companies can adjust their scanning as their network grows, without having to worry about reaching a limit.

Yes, Enterprotect 360 allows you to access the results of the scan in a web portal, where you can drill in and take action.

Enterprotect 360 helps meet regulatory requirements such as PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and CMMC by automating the process of vulnerability management, which is a requirement for compliance with these regulations.

Yes, Enterprotect 360 provides detailed remediation recommendations and instructions for most vulnerabilities, making it simple for IT professionals to understand how to fix vulnerabilities and reduce risk.

Yes, Enterprotect 360 produces alerts of discovered vulnerabilities, and provides a clear view of vulnerabilities across all your networks through one dashboard, so you can take action before they can be exploited.

Enterprotect 360 helps organizations working towards CIS controls or NIST CSF compliance by automating the process of vulnerability management, which is a critical component of overall cybersecurity strategy. This helps organizations to meet the requirements set out by CIS controls and NIST CSF.

Enterprotect 360 helps organizations stay compliant with industry standards by automating the process of vulnerability management, which is a requirement for compliance with many regulatory bodies such as PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and CMMC. This also helps organizations to meet the requirements set out by cyber insurance carriers and industry regulators.

Enterprotect 360 reduces the risk of falling victim to attacks that exploit older vulnerabilities by identifying and eliminating vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. This helps organizations to stay ahead of the threat and avoid falling victim to attacks that exploit older vulnerabilities, which are responsible for 75% of attacks.

Yes, Enterprotect 360 can be used to scan both internal and external networks, and consolidating vulnerability data from multiple scanner types into a single interface, this makes it easy for IT professionals to quickly identify vulnerabilities and take action across all networks.

Enterprotect 360 helps IT professionals to find and eliminate vulnerabilities on their networks by automating the process of vulnerability management. This includes regular scanning, which can be done manually or through automated tools, and through the implementation of remediation strategies to fix the vulnerabilities that are found. This makes it easy for IT professionals to find and eliminate vulnerabilities on their networks before cybercriminals have a chance to exploit them.

Yes, Enterprotect 360's host-based vulnerability scanner is able to scan computers even when they're off the network, such as when employees are working remotely or from home. This ensures that all devices and systems are being continuously scanned and managed to reduce risk, regardless of their location or connectivity status.

No, Enterprotect 360's vulnerability scanning and management feature is a component of the Enterprotect 360 platform which offers a comprehensive solution for protecting your organization from cyber threats. The platform includes a range of features such as vulnerability management, threat intelligence, endpoint security, network security, incident response, compliance, and more. These features work together to provide a comprehensive cybersecurity solution that helps you identify and eliminate vulnerabilities, protect against cyber threats, and meet compliance requirements. To access all these features, you would need to subscribe to the Enterprotect 360 platform.