The cyber landscape is still changing as companies rely more and more on digital technology to grow and innovate.
As digital transformation grows, however, so do the number and complexity of cyber attacks, and therefore vulnerability management has never been more important.
In a time when threats are being built on a daily basis, vulnerability management is the answer to maintaining your company’s security posture as strong and resilient.
Vulnerability management refers to the discovery, evaluation, prioritisation, and remediation of vulnerabilities within an organisation’s systems, applications, and networks.
Proper vulnerability management reduces the attack surface area, reduces the chances of a successful breach, and increases overall security defences.
Vulnerability Management
Cyber attackers are taking advantage of opportunities presented by human error, misconfigured systems, and unpatched apps, shifting away from the traditional advanced persistent threats (APTs).
These vulnerabilities serve as entry points for cyber attacks, including data breaches and ransomware attacks, and are expected to be the primary focus of cyber attacks in 2023.
Historically, firms relied on perimeter security measures like firewalls and antivirus solutions to protect their systems and sensitive data. However, in the high-speed cyber world of today, these precautions are not enough.
Threats in the current environment are attacking weaknesses in existing systems, therefore vulnerability management is a critical part of staying one step ahead.
How Vulnerability Management Enhances Your Cybersecurity Posture
1. Continuous Scanning and Detection: Continuous scanning of systems for possible vulnerabilities is the first step towards effective vulnerability management.
With continuous vulnerability scans, businesses are able to identify old software, and open vulnerabilities without patches, unsafe configurations, and other security risks.
Automated products accomplish the task easier and faster, and security teams can flag areas of interest in advance before the criminals even get the chance.
2. Risk-Based Prioritization: All vulnerabilities are not created equal. That internal application vulnerability may not be anywhere near as risky, say, as an internet-facing vulnerability.
Risk-based prioritization is prioritizing vulnerabilities based on their potential to affect your business.
Higher-risk vulnerabilities, especially those with a possibility to expose data or disrupt operations, need to be fixed immediately, while lower-risk vulnerabilities can be fixed on the back burner.
3. On-Time Patch Management: The need for regular software patches cannot be emphasised enough. Almost all cyber attacks are carried out through the use of previously known vulnerabilities already patched by the software developers.
In 2023, attackers take advantage of unpatched software every day, and companies remain vulnerable. On-time patching of systems and software plugs those vulnerabilities and renders them unavailable to be exploited.
There needs to be an effective patch management process that the organisations can follow so that they do not miss important patches.
4. Remediation Plans: Detection is just the tip of the vulnerability management iceberg. Once vulnerabilities are detected, a remediation plan has to be established.
That could include patching, system reconfiguration, or even uninstalls of older software that represent unnecessary threats.
The concept is to patch vulnerabilities in an orderly, timely manner so they’re not a doorway for cybercriminals.
5. Employee Training and Awareness: Employees are usually the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain and therefore human error is a contributory factor in the majority of breaches.
Phishing emails, poor security habits, and poor passwords can all expose one to cyber attacks. This year, employee training must be added to vulnerability management as well.
Daily security awareness training and best practices such as promoting the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and having good password policies can minimize human mistakes and further fortify your organisation’s defences.
Why Vulnerability Management Matters this year
With more and more cyber attacks becoming the new norm, organisations can barely afford to wait for the inevitable.
This year’s breach costs can be disastrous, from financial penalties via reputation loss and attorney fees to a tailspin into insolvency that can spin a business into.
Proactively embracing vulnerability management will dramatically reduce an organisation’s risk exposure.
The highest-performing companies for the year are companies that possess an end-to-end vulnerability management program with support for automated scanning, full-risk assessment, prompt patching, and employee education.
This proactive approach enables businesses to remediate vulnerabilities rapidly in front of attack before they are able to strike and maintain security posture in harmony with the shifting threat environment.
As cyber attacks evolve this year, vulnerability management is definitely part of an organisation’s cybersecurity strategy.
By discovering and fixing vulnerabilities before hackers take advantage of them, businesses not only protect their prized assets but win the confidence of customers, vendors, and shareholders too.
A properly developed vulnerability management plan effectively fortifies the defence of an organisation and provides a culture for continuous improvement.
In a time when cybercriminals are getting cleverer and more persistent, managing vulnerabilities provides an excellent protection measure.
Having an effective vulnerability management program in place can give an organisation peace of mind, reassuring that its company is armed to meet tomorrow’s challenges.
