Implement Risk-Based Vulnerability Discovery and Remediation

In today’s day and age, vulnerabilities in software and systems pose a considerable danger to businesses, which is why it is important to have an efficient vulnerability management program. To stay one step ahead of possible breaches and mitigate the damage they may cause, it is critical to automate the process of finding and fixing vulnerabilities depending on the level of harm they pose. This post will cover the fundamental approaches and tools to implement and automate risk-based vulnerability management. To make this process easier, consider using an all-in-one cloud based solution right from the start.

Implement a risk-based vulnerability management program

A risk-based vulnerability management program is a complex prevention approach used to quickly detect and rank vulnerabilities based on their potential threat to a business. By adopting a risk-based vulnerability management approach, organizations can improve their security posture and reduce the likelihood of data breaches and other security events.

While your actual workflow and tools may differ, conceptually the main steps of your approach are:

• Asset identification: The first step in implementing a risk-based vulnerability management program is to identify an organization’s assets. This includes hardware, software, data and people.
• Risky tasks: Once assets are identified, the next step is to assess the risks associated with each asset. This involves identifying threats and vulnerabilities that could impact assets. High-risk vulnerabilities may be easily exploited and can lead to data breaches. Conversely, low-risk vulnerabilities will be more difficult to attack and have a lower overall effect.
• Prioritize vulnerabilities: After assessing risks, vulnerabilities should be prioritized based on their potential impact on organizational assets and operations.
• Apply control: Once vulnerabilities have been prioritized, controls must be implemented to reduce the risk of exploitation. Controls may include patches, configuration changes, or other security measures.
• Monitor, review and adjust: Finally, the results of previous steps should be monitored, and your approach – reviewed and adjusted on an ongoing basis to ensure it remains effective and addresses new threats and vulnerabilities as they arise.

Threat intelligence feed

Threat intelligence feeds are data streams that provide information about the latest cyber threats and attacks, including vulnerabilities, malware, phishing, and other malicious activity. Created by security researchers, government agencies, and other groups monitoring the security landscape, this data is an important instrument in the battle against cyber attacks, as it provides up-to-date information on the latest threats and vulnerabilities, strategies, threat actor methodologies, and processes, as well as indicators of compromise. (IOC) that can be used to identify and prevent attacks. The best known threat intelligence feeds are the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures List (CVE) and Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE); they are assessed using the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).

You can automate vulnerability discovery, prioritization, and patching by incorporating threat intelligence feeds into your security program. For example, feeds highlight new vulnerabilities exploited by threat actors. In this case, enterprises should prioritize patching those vulnerabilities first to lower the immediate danger of a successful attack. Thus, based on data feeds, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of successful attacks and data breaches through automation and by increasing overall vigilance.

Implement automation

Implementing automation in your vulnerability management is an important step in maintaining a good security posture: automation can be used to detect and prioritize threats, apply software patches or upgrades, alert specialists, and maintain audit trails – minimizing the time and effort spent, as a business must act promptly to reduce the possibility of exploitation. Complete solutions are often customized to prioritize and address specific systems and vulnerabilities and can be configured differently for different parts of your infrastructure.

Organizations should still have methodologies in place to test and validate that patches and updates are applied properly and will not cause unforeseen defects or compatibility issues that could compromise their operations. Also, remember that there is no “silver bullet”: automated vulnerability management can help identify and prioritize vulnerabilities, making it easier to direct resources where they are needed most. However, vulnerability scanning is only part of a comprehensive risk-based vulnerability management program, and staff education and awareness should not be underestimated.

Vulnerability scanner

A vulnerability scanner is a software tool that scans a computer system, network or application for security vulnerabilities. The scanner performs automated tests to identify known and potential security weaknesses, such as out-of-date software versions or weak passwords. It can also perform configuration audits and compliance checks to ensure that systems meet organizational security standards and policies. Vulnerability scanners use a variety of techniques to identify potential security weaknesses, including port scanning, service enumeration, and vulnerability testing. Usually, the scanner will use a database of known vulnerabilities to compare with the system being scanned. The scanner will generate a report detailing the identified vulnerabilities, their severity, and recommendations for fixes.

Using a vulnerability scanner, businesses can quickly and efficiently pinpoint the most critical security weaknesses that pose a risk to their operations. This allows them to prioritize their efforts and address the most critical vulnerabilities, keeping them one step ahead of potential threats. Continuous scanning for new vulnerabilities and real-time notifications when they are detected allows organizations to respond quickly and maintain a competitive advantage over potential adversaries.

Use an automated patch management system.

Simplifying your patching management is another important part of your security posture: an automated patch management system is a powerful tool that can help businesses quickly and effectively implement critical security fixes to their systems and software. Manufacturers publish patches to address security vulnerabilities. Enterprises should deploy them as soon as possible to reduce the risk of exploitation by attackers, so patch management solutions automate the discovery and deployment of fixes to vulnerable systems and applications. Patch management solutions, such as Action1can search for missing patches in an organization’s environment, rank them according to their criticality, and automatically apply them to affected systems based on patch deployment policies.

Implementing automated patch management has various advantages for companies:

• Control. This helps to ensure that critical improvements are implemented immediately and uniformly throughout the organizational environment.
• Workload. This frees up IT staff that would otherwise be required to detect and deploy fixes manually, allowing them to concentrate on other critical activities.
• Testing. The patch management system allows you to standardize the patch testing process.
• Obedience. This helps maintain compliance with industry norms and standards by ensuring that all critical security updates are applied.

In summary, an automated patch management system is a strategic tool for enterprises to ensure that critical security updates are applied in a timely and uniform manner across their environments. By automating patch management, companies can lower the risk of data breaches and other security incidents while freeing up IT personnel and ensuring compliance with industry norms and standards.

Which solutions can help?

Action1 is an all-in-one cloud-based solution with multiple features to automate vulnerability management. Its patch management enables automatic discovery and fixing of vulnerabilities by scanning and patching Windows Server, desktop OS and third-party applications from a single console. Real-time reports are generated on installed and missing software updates, antivirus status, and other important security information. Action1 complies with security regulations, such as SOC2, ISO/IEC 27001, and HIPAA/HITECH, ensuring organizations have access to the latest threat intelligence information. The solution also provides an easy-to-use interface for run the scriptwhich enables organizations to automate remediation processes and reduce the risk of potential breaches.