Thought Leadership
Even the strongest IT system is only as strong as its weakest security vulnerability. Unfortunately, the number of such vulnerabilities is constantly increasing – in fact, it has more than tripled in the last ten years.
Experience shows us that many companies only become aware of potential gateways in their IT systems when it is already too late and they have already been exploited. Such negligence often has costly consequences and, in the worst case, leads to long-term damage that is difficult to repair. So the question is: how can IT managers identify and eliminate vulnerabilities in their systems in good time? And what exactly distinguishes a threat from a vulnerability and a risk?
Identify, assess and eliminate weak points
Vulnerability management is the continuous process of identifying, categorizing and remediating IT security vulnerabilities. It is an essential part of any company’s security architecture, as the early detection and elimination of vulnerabilities can prevent data loss, operational disruptions and reputational damage.
For effective vulnerability management, companies must first make a clear distinction between threat, vulnerability and risk. A threat in the IT context is anything that can damage or destroy an asset or negatively impact the digital system. A vulnerability is a specific weakness or gap in a program, system or process that an attacker can exploit to penetrate the infrastructure. A risk is the probability or extent of the potential damage that can be caused by exploiting a vulnerability.
72%
of small and medium-sized enterprises give top priority to improving their security measures
A risk arises from the combination of threats and vulnerabilities. As it is almost impossible to eliminate every vulnerability in an IT environment, IT security officers must set priorities. The most important question to ask is: “Which vulnerabilities are particularly risky and should therefore be eliminated as a priority?” Such risk-based vulnerability management is part of a proactive cyber security strategy that aims to assess vulnerabilities based on their individual risk potential and tackle the threats that need to be addressed most urgently first. After all, no company can ensure that all gateways are reliably sealed at all times.
The four steps of vulnerability management
The aim of vulnerability management is to gain control over the vulnerabilities of an IT system. The responsible teams achieve this by applying established best practices. However, this is not a one-off event, but an ongoing process that identifies and assesses security vulnerabilities in order to then initiate risk mitigation measures. This comprises the following four steps:
#1 Localization and identification: First, all vulnerabilities in the IT environment must be identified. This involves clarifying questions such as: What type of vulnerability is there? Where is it located? Special tools and techniques can be used here, such as penetration tests, vulnerability scanners and code reviews.
#2 Assessment: The risk assessment determines the prioritization. For each identified vulnerability, the worst-case scenario that could affect the company if it is exploited by an attacker is determined. Based on these scenarios, the identified vulnerabilities can be categorized and prioritized. Suitable IT documentation software helps to document the information obtained so that it can be referred back to at a later date and important insights can be gained.
#3 Monitoring and mitigation: This part of the process is continuous, as newly emerging vulnerabilities must also be detected – through proactive monitoring. The vulnerabilities with the highest priority are eliminated first. Depending on the type of vulnerability, different measures may be required, for example a device restart, installing a patch or setting up a workaround until a solution is available.
#4 Verification and confirmation: Trust is good, control is better. For this reason, the final step in vulnerability management is to check whether the measures implemented were successful and the identified vulnerabilities have actually been remedied. This can be done through rescans, tests and audits. This phase also serves to fulfill compliance requirements and document that the company has fulfilled its duty of care with regard to IT security.
Vulnerability management tools: advantages and alternatives
Special vulnerability management solutions offer all four steps mentioned above in a user-friendly package. But even without these, it is possible to deal effectively with vulnerabilities. Appropriate software – whether specialized or as part of a unified IT management platform – should include the following functions:
➤ Coverage: The strength of vulnerability management tools lies in their ability to detect a wide range of security vulnerabilities. Leading solutions provide a comprehensive overview of all vulnerabilities in an IT environment. They facilitate risk assessment and support the implementation of suitable protective measures and the safeguarding of important digital data. The more, the better.
➤ Automation: Another significant advantage of some tools is the ability to automate many tasks within vulnerability management. The responsible team saves time and effort, as the corresponding solution enables regular and consistent, automated vulnerability checks. Especially in times of acute skills shortages, relieving the burden on IT teams is an important factor. Automation can also be helpful in eliminating security vulnerabilities, simplifying maintenance tasks and actively reducing risk factors.
➤ Reporting: Reporting functions provide a transparent overview of the current security situation and facilitate the tracking of improvements. They also make it possible to track the status of vulnerabilities and the effectiveness of risk mitigation measures. Reports also serve to prove compliance with legal requirements and document that a company has taken the necessary steps to improve IT security and is compliant.
28%
of professionals surveyed emphasize the importance of improving vulnerability management and patch compliance.
Proactive vulnerability management
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) play a central role in vulnerability management and therefore belong on the agenda of every IT team.
This is a standardized identifier that is assigned to a specific vulnerability and thus becomes a unique point of reference. Cybersecurity professionals can use CVEs to discuss vulnerabilities in different systems and platforms, share them with others and collaborate on solutions. As a unique identifier, they provide a common basis and ensure that everyone involved knows exactly which vulnerability is involved in a specific case.
Some CVEs have already gained notoriety: for example, the infamous CVE-2017-0144, also known as EternalBlue, exposed vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s SMB protocol in 2017, which led to the global WannaCry ransomware attack. CVE-2014-0160, the Heartbleed bug from 2014, affected the OpenSSL cryptographic software library.
CVEs play a key role in proactively identifying and remediating vulnerabilities because by providing a standardized reference, cybersecurity professionals can communicate efficiently, share threat information and collaborate on a solution – ideally before damage occurs. The metrics are also essential in the event of an acute cybersecurity incident: security teams can use them to understand the nature of the vulnerability, assess its severity and take targeted action.
Examples such as the Equifax data breach (CVE-2017-5638) and the Apache Struts vulnerability repeatedly show how exploiting already known gateways can lead to significant data breaches. Companies must therefore always stay up to date and networking with like-minded people can help them stay one step ahead of attackers.
Risk-based vulnerability management is part of a proactive cyber security strategy that aims to assess vulnerabilities based on their individual risk potential and tackle the threats that need to be addressed most urgently first.
André Schindler, NinjaOne
Conclusion
Security in the digital world requires constant vigilance. While some cyberattacks appear unexpectedly out of nowhere and literally overwhelm companies, IT teams can prevent other attacks by doing their homework thoroughly. Proactive, risk-based vulnerability management should be at the top of the agenda. Implementation in practice is successful with clearly structured processes, professionally equipped teams and well thought-out tools in the right places. With these tools, companies can turn vulnerability management into an effective method of protecting themselves against security breaches and reducing the risk of a serious cyberattack.
