Overview
Vulnerability Management is a cyclical practice designed to proactively identify and remediate security weaknesses before they can be exploited by attackers. Unlike a one-time vulnerability assessment, it is an ongoing process that integrates with an organization's overall security strategy.
The Vulnerability Management Lifecycle
- Discovery: Identifying all assets across the network and scanning them for vulnerabilities.
- Prioritization: Categorizing vulnerabilities based on risk, severity (e.g., CVSS score), and the criticality of the affected asset.
- Assessment: Determining the root cause and potential impact of the identified vulnerabilities.
- Remediation: Fixing the vulnerability (e.g., patching, configuration changes) or implementing compensating controls.
- Verification: Re-scanning to ensure the remediation was successful.
- Reporting: Documenting the process and results for compliance and continuous improvement.
Importance
Effective vulnerability management significantly reduces an organization's attack surface and helps maintain a strong security posture in a rapidly changing threat landscape.