What is vulnerability management?

Vulnerability management is the process of identifying, evaluating, prioritizing, and addressing security vulnerabilities in software, systems, and networks. The objective of vulnerability management is to minimize the risk of cyber attacks by discovering and addressing vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by attackers.

What does the vulnerability management process look like?

The vulnerability management process typically involves the following steps:

1. Asset inventory: Identify all hardware, software, and network assets in the organization.
2. Vulnerability scanning: Use automated tools to scan for known vulnerabilities in the identified assets.
3. Vulnerability assessment: Analyze the results of the vulnerability scans to determine the severity and potential impact of the identified vulnerabilities.
4. Prioritization: Prioritize the vulnerabilities based on their severity, potential impact, and the resources required to address them.
5. Remediation: Develop and implement a plan to address the identified vulnerabilities, which may include patching software, changing configurations, or implementing additional security controls.
6. Verification: Verify that the remediation efforts have effectively addressed the identified vulnerabilities.
7. Reporting: Document the results of the vulnerability management process and communicate them to relevant stakeholders.

By implementing a proactive vulnerability management program, organizations can reduce the risk of cyber attacks and protect their assets, data, and reputation.