An efficient vulnerability management plan is a must-have in any information security strategy. In a world where cybercriminals exploit weak systems faster than security professionals, vulnerability management is crucial for identifying, classifying, remediating, and mitigating vulnerabilities in any system. 20.4% of all found vulnerabilities were critical-risk or high-risk issues—vulnerabilities that could harm services or data. Organizations implementing efficient vulnerability management can assure system security and avoid data theft.

The process of finding, classifying, mitigating, and remediating recognized flaws inside information system devices is known as vulnerability management. Vulnerabilities can exist in various places within an information technology function, such as the network, operating system, database, application, policy, or employee level.

Vulnerability management solutions can assist you in various ways in ensuring that your system’s vulnerabilities have the shortest possible lifetime. It can also prove your diligence if your network gets compromised despite your attempts.

Best Practices for Vulnerability Management

The following are some of the best practices for vulnerability management:

Implement mitigation tracking as part of your vulnerability management program

Developing a tool, such as an MIS system to track mitigation strategies against vulnerability classes and asset kinds is quite beneficial. This system can assist you in determining progress and offering information on how to patch various vulnerabilities and the timeframe required. In addition, delegating mitigation/remediation activities to specific teams and incorporating a tracking system such as bug-tracking can be critical determinants in increasing the success rate of a vulnerability management program.

Regularly scan for weaknesses

The interval between vulnerability scans influences threat management efficiency. Adopting a culture of frequent scanning of your system helps bridge the gap that can leave your ecosystem susceptible to new vulnerabilities at a time when attackers are continually upgrading their techniques. 

Scanning your devices weekly, monthly, or quarterly is an excellent method to stay on top of system flaws and add value to your organization. The frequency of vulnerability scanning required in any network is determined by network architecture, device effect on the network, and other considerations.

Keep track of all scans and their outcomes 

Another critical aspect of any vulnerability management strategy is to plan each scan according to a management-approved timetable, with required audit reports covering the scan results. Organizations may readily track trends and issue recurrences in their ecosystem by adopting adequate documentation of the frequency of security scans and their results, allowing them to detect vulnerable systems and increase responsibility. 

Furthermore, ensure that the reports are written and understood by the technically aware business teams and the company’s non-technical management and executive employees.

Ownership of essential assets should be assigned

 Another best practice that companies may use to drive the success of their vulnerability management programs is assigning owners to each critical asset. Furthermore, appointing asset owners who are accountable for maintaining those specific assets patched and who suffer the most when those assets are hacked can be an effective technique for keeping your system safe and secure. 

When allocating asset ownership, make sure to include both technical and business individuals on the list so that your teams are prepared to deal with any danger.

Examine each device and endpoint in your ecosystem thoroughly

It is critical to scan all devices and access points interacting with the system to eliminate vulnerabilities throughout the company network. Firms can obtain valuable insights into the potential flaws in their architecture by scanning all assets within the ecosystem and assisting them in creating the appropriate remediation, mitigation, or acceptance methods based on the severity of the risks. 

Furthermore, generating an inventory list that contains all of the network’s devices and endpoints as well as their functions might assist you in prioritizing the targets to be included in the vulnerability scanning process.

Vulnerabilities Management Process 

Every new vulnerability increases the organization’s risk. As a result, a defined procedure is frequently utilized to offer businesses a mechanism to swiftly and continuously discover and mitigate vulnerabilities. Below is the management process:

Determine vulnerabilities

The major level of management entails determining which vulnerabilities may harm your systems. Once you’ve decided which vulnerability types you’re looking for, you may start to identify the ones that exist.

This stage directs your search using threat intelligence data and vulnerability databases. It also frequently uses vulnerability scanners to identify vulnerable components and compile an inventory for patch management.

As part of this step, you should produce a detailed map of your system that explains where assets are, how those assets can be accessed, and which protection methods are currently in place. 

Vulnerabilities assessment

After you’ve found all potential vulnerabilities in your system, you can start assessing the threats’ severity. This review assists you in prioritizing your security activities and can assist you in reducing your risks more quickly.

First, addressing the most severe vulnerabilities can lessen the likelihood of an attack while safeguarding the remainder of your system. Numerous systems can be used to determine the risk of a vulnerability being exploited while reviewing vulnerabilities.

Resolved Vulnerabilities

You can begin your repair efforts once you have a prioritized vulnerability management plan. During this period, you may also wish to improve monitoring or restrict access to at-risk regions. This can help avert successful exploits of vulnerabilities until patches or permanently increased defenses are applied to certain locations.

After vulnerabilities have been addressed, make sure that successful remediation has been achieved. Penetration testing can assist you in determining the success of your repair in this situation. It can also help you ensure that no new vulnerabilities are introduced during your cleanup operations.

Vulnerabilities must be reported

Reporting vulnerabilities after they have been remedied may appear needless, but it can help you improve your security and response times in the future. Keeping a record of vulnerabilities and when they were adjusted proves accountability for security and is required by many compliance standards. 

It can also be helpful while researching future events. For example, you can examine your patch history to limit possible entrance points and timings if you discover evidence of an ongoing attack.

Get Expert Guidance on Vulnerability Management 

Implementing an effective threat and vulnerability management policy is the foundation of any security program and is critical in achieving various regulatory or compliance demands. With an effective vulnerability management policy in place, organizations can address the expanding number of cyber hazards while remaining confident in the integrity of their infrastructure and the security of their systems and data.

AhelioTech can assist you in getting started. We strive to provide affordable technology solutions and services without sacrificing quality values to fulfill your specific technological needs. Contact AhelioTech online today or call 614-333-0000.