We explain what vulnerability management is and why it matters, and we give a step-by-step guide to implementing a vulnerability management process.
What is vulnerability management? Vulnerability management is the process of continuously identifying, categorizing, and remediating technology system security vulnerabilities. Vulnerability management is a critical component of maintaining security.
Managing vulnerabilities helps organizations avoid unauthorized access, illicit credential usage, and data breaches. This ongoing process starts with a vulnerability assessment.
A vulnerability assessment identifies, classifies, and prioritizes flaws in an organization's digital assets, network infrastructure, and technology systems. Assessments are typically recurring and rely on scanners to identify vulnerabilities.
Vulnerability scanners look for security weaknesses in an organization's network and systems. Vulnerability scanning can also identify issues such as system misconfigurations, improper file sharing, and outdated software.
Most organizations first use vulnerability scanners to capture known flaws. Then, for more comprehensive vulnerability discovery, they use ethical hackers to find new, often high-risk or critical vulnerabilities.
Organizations have access to several vulnerability management tools to help look for security gaps in their systems and networks.
Increasing cyberattacks force organizations to find ways to mitigate risk and improve their security profiles to stay ahead of malicious actors. An IDC Research Services survey finds 78% of IT leaders aren't confident in their organization's security and have increased cybersecurity funding for 2021.
Many organizations turn to the hacker community to help prevent cyberattacks. Organizations benefit from hackers because hackers approach detecting vulnerabilities by thinking like cybercriminals figuring out how they might access systems and wreak havoc. Hackers find vulnerabilities in infrastructure, applications, and open-source code so organizations can fix the issues before cyberattacks occur.
True vulnerability management combines software tools and security experts to reduce risk. Organizations use hackers to enhance the effectiveness of vulnerability scanners or vulnerability management tools. Their experience, expertise, and creativity allow them to uncover security flaws that scanning devices miss.
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs), Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE), and the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) help define software weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
CVE is a catalog of known security vulnerabilities and exposures. The CVE system offers a way for organizations to share information about vulnerabilities and exposures publicly. Each vulnerability receives a unique ID number that gives users a reliable way to tell one vulnerability from another.
CWE is a community-developed list of software and hardware weaknesses that may lead to vulnerabilities. The CWE refers to vulnerabilities while the CVE pertains to the specific instance of a vulnerability in a system or product.
The CVSS is an open industry standard that assesses a vulnerability's severity. The standard assigns a severity score from 0.0 (the lowest risk) to 10.0 (the highest risk), so organizations can prioritize their remediation efforts effectively.
Some cybersecurity experts say researchers should immediately disclose a discovered vulnerability publicly, providing specific information about the vulnerability's exploitability. These experts believe this process results in faster patching and more secure software.
Others are against public reporting, arguing that malicious actors will then further exploit those flaws. They favor private vulnerability disclosure, allowing each organization decides whether to publish the vulnerability details.
Responsible disclosure aims for a compromise between these approaches. With responsible disclosure, a researcher delivers a confidential report to the organization and then publishes the details once a patch is available. An organization provides a standard timeframe to remediate the bug but may ask for an extension because of extenuating circumstances. The report will then remain private until the security team patches the flaw. If the organization isn't responsive or never patches the vulnerability, the hacker may publicly disclose the flaw.
There are five stages in the vulnerability management process:
To stay ahead of cybercriminals, organizations must understand the challenges of managing vulnerabilities. These include the following:
To stay current with the latest changes in software, identify new systems added to networks, and uncover new vulnerabilities, an organization should follow these best practices.
This allows an organization to develop and enhance visibility into its infrastructure, helping ensure the organization can respond effectively to security risks. A successful strategy includes security controls that combine people, processes, and technology.
There are many vulnerability scanning tools on the market, but some are better than others. Before choosing a scanning tool, organizations should consider the following criteria:
HackerOne Assessments provides on-demand, continuous security testing for your organization. The platform allows you to track progress through the kickoff, discovery, testing, retesting, and remediation phases of an engagement. Whether you’re looking to meet regulatory standards, launch a product, or prove compliance, we’ll help your security teams find and close flaws before cybercriminals exploit them.
HackerOne delivers access to the world’s largest and most diverse community of hackers in the world. Contact us to learn more.
