For a twenty-first-century business, vulnerability management has become an essential part of day-to-day operations. Every application you use has vulnerabilities. Cybercriminals use these weaknesses in your software systems to orchestrate attacks for both fun and profit.

You cannot patch up every vulnerability in your application and network environment. Also, the odds are against you. According to Deloitte, a low-end cyberattack that only costs around £25 per month could provide a return of £18k. That’s a lot of incentive for cybercriminals to keep trying.

A vulnerability management strategy can help you discover and prioritize the patching of the most critical vulnerabilities, so you can improve the odds of keeping your systems safe.

Get Informed About Vulnerabilities

Cybercriminals use known vulnerabilities to attack systems. To address threats, you also need to keep track of new vulnerabilities that are discovered every day.

National Vulnerability Database (NVD) is a great place to find out about vulnerability definitions. The Center for Internet Security regularly provides guidelines on configuring your applications properly to keep your systems secure. Also, the Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) published by the National Institute of Standard and Technology(NIST) is an excellent resource for understanding vulnerability definitions.

Common Cyberattacks Used to Exploit Vulnerabilities

Here are common types of attacks cybercriminals use to get into your systems:

• Malware: Malware is malicious software that can exploit weaknesses in your network security. Spyware, ransomware, viruses, and worms penetrate the system when the user clicks on a link or email attachment.
• Phishing: Phishing emails or messages are used to extract valuable information from the user. The messages can come through any communication tool your company uses. They look like messages from an authority figure, so users often give up information like passwords, even social security numbers.
• Man-in-the-Middle: If a cyberattacker can figure out a vulnerability to insert their program in the middle of a communication channel, they can listen to all the communication between two parties.
• Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS): Cyber attackers overwhelm your servers with unnecessary requests. As a result, your servers are unable to process valid customers.
• SQL Injections: Malicious code is inserted into your SQL queries to steal valuable data like passwords or user information.
• Zero-day Exploits: Zero-day exploits are recently discovered vulnerabilities that do not have a patch yet. Cybercriminals are always looking for these exploits as they provide a window of opportunity to attack vulnerable systems.

Types of Vulnerability Management Tools You Can Use

Here are some tools that you can use to make your system more robust against possible cyberattacks:

Network Monitoring Tools: These monitoring tools can help you detect any unexpected changes in your network traffic. It can keep track of various network configurations, so you have a better understanding of weak points in your network.

Encryption Tools: With better encryption, it’s harder for outsiders to gain access to data.

Web Vulnerability Scanners: These scanners can help you see vulnerabilities that can lead to SQL injection. They can also detect server configuration errors.

Packet Sniffers: Packet sniffers or packet analyzers can be a valuable tool to figure out if anyone is trying to send and receive hidden data in your network traffic.

Antivirus Software: Antivirus software is mandatory for every business as the first line of protection to keep your systems from getting infected.

Firewall: Hardware and software firewalls help you control what kind of traffic is allowed in and out of your network. A well-implemented firewall allows only necessary entry and exit, so your network has fewer vulnerable points.

Penetration Testing Tools: Penetration testing tools can help you discover problems in your environment before cybercriminals can find out. So, regular penetration testing can save you a lot of headaches in the long run.

Managed Services for Vulnerability Management

Vulnerability management is a time-consuming task for any IT admin. Particularly if it is not something you’ve been doing proactively. Kindus offer a range of services to either help with short term remediation so that you can get your IT estate to a more manageable state. We also offer services support with long term proactive vulnerability management as a service so that you can free up your admins time

Kindus have worked across different sectors to develop and deliver vulnerability management programs, this includes:

• Developing vulnerability management policies and processes.
• Implementing vulnerability management tools such as Nessus, Qualys and Metasploit.
• Supporting remediation of weak cipher suites as well as providing support to remediate complex vulnerabilities.
• Implementing patch management solutions such as SCCM.
• Tracking and reporting to identify trends and monitor SLAs.

If you are interested in our managed services for vulnerability management, use the form below to get in touch with us.

Whatever path you take, it’s essential to put some thought into vulnerability management because if a cyberattack happens, it will be too late.