6 Steps to Creating a Strong Vulnerability Management Process

Threats occur daily from malicious individuals, globally and domestically, with one motive; to exploit possible vulnerabilities in your software systems and network. Currently, cybercrime has now risen to 600% since the 2020 pandemic.

The evolution of technology through improved product models is now rapid, necessitating frequent software and OS updates. Unfortunately, each change comes with its weaknesses/loopholes. In the same way, technology is evolving, cybercriminals are also changing with new tactics to sabotage weak network infrastructures in companies.

Therefore, organizations should employ effective measures by creating an efficient vulnerability management process. A vulnerability management solution helps to collect data that business owners can use to create metrics, reports, and dashboards for diverse audiences.

Organizations can automate their vulnerability management process using the vulnerability management program/software. Often, organizations can use endpoint agents and primarily vulnerability scanners to check for any loophole in their network. Once any exposure is known, its risks can be assessed to know the best way to treat them.

However, the different but practical steps organizations need to create a robust vulnerability process are further discussed in this article.

The Practical Steps to Create a Strong Vulnerability Management Process

The following are six practical steps every organization needs to help them create a strong vulnerability management process:

Vulnerability identification

A vulnerability identification assessment should be the first step every organization should take when creating a vulnerability management process. Why? This is because, without identifying the source of the problem, it will be challenging to solve.

When an organization/business doesn’t find practical ways to identify weaknesses in its network, it’ll be like shooting an arrow in the dark. Therefore, CEOs, managers, and business owners need to begin identifying weaknesses by assessing various sections within the company and should be open to any feedback from their employees in case a new threat has surfaced.

Also, as a business owner, ensure you scan your network’s applications and systems regularly. Ensure you monitor your network’s services, which include the remote access portal, to have a broad assessment.

Additionally, vulnerability scanning isn’t the only way to collect or check for vulnerabilities. Endpoint agents provide a vulnerability management solution by constantly collecting data having loopholes from systems without having to scan networks. This helps organizations maintain up-to-date system data, even if their employees’ devices are connected to their home network or the organization’s.

Learn about the latest vulnerabilities and find ways to fix them

This step is similar to the first. While vulnerability scanning and endpoint agents assist in fishing out an organization’s weaknesses, it is your responsibility as a business owner to keep up with the latest vulnerability trends. Furthermore, as new vulnerabilities are revealed and made open, ensure that your business’s system won’t fall prey to cyber criminals.

As you get exposed to the latest vulnerability exploits, your team should be ready to fix them as soon as possible. Combining intelligent threat tools and feeds to monitor possible weaknesses will give you a great view of maintaining security improvements for your network/system.

Ensure your organization uses the proper tools

Some applications and tools are essential and make life easier when an organization is working towards building an efficient cybersecurity infrastructure. As a business owner, using these tools in your vulnerability scan help in efficient update management, preliminary scan, etc.

Increase detection accuracy using a bigger vulnerability database

Having a vulnerability scanner entails how well the scanner can detect publicly revealed vulnerabilities. If the vulnerabilities in its database are not high enough, your business can be in grave danger, and you might not know that. A lesser number of security scans can fail to recognize all vulnerabilities, giving you a false sense of hope.

To increase detection accuracy, your business’s vulnerability management process must be the accuracy of your detection, and your vulnerability management program needs to be driven by a vulnerability database large enough to have up-to-date publicly disclosed security risks. The more rigorous and broad the security checks are, the more precise the detection.

Report vulnerabilities

To help your business to improve responses and security in the future, it is important to report vulnerabilities even after rectifying the security threat. When an organization has documentation of vulnerabilities/weaknesses and when the dangers were fixed, it shows security accountability.

That can be useful for future threat investigations. For instance, if your team notices any threat, they can go back to the record they’ve created to find the possible route and time of entry.

Assessment and verification

The last step involves assessing your security plan and proving that your organization’s security measures have successfully mitigated possible threats. Although this stage might take a while, it is necessary to ensure that your business’s management strategies are effective.

Create a Strong Vulnerability Management Process

At B-Comp Services, we are an MSP (Managed Services Provider) with a passion for helping small and medium-sized businesses to solve their IT issues. Our clients include accounting firms, law firms, veterinarians, medical practices, restaurant groups, and manufacturing organizations.