Keeping your network safe and secure should be your number one priority. With constantly increasing security risks, it is imperative that all organizations do all they can to keep critical data safe. The threats to organizations have been increasing at a phenomenal rate. Understanding the vulnerability management tools available is key to a successful security plan.

One of the most important things to know about your network is where potential holes and vulnerabilities are. It is equally important to act and eliminate holes and vulnerabilities. Hackers and cybercriminals are attacking everywhere, all the time. No network is safe from attack. That is why having reliable vulnerability management as a service (VMaaS) capabilities performed by a qualified organization is so important. 

What is a Vulnerability Scan?

The vulnerability scan provides insight into every device connected to the network. It generates an inventory of all systems, including operating systems, installed software, patches, anti-virus software, firewalls, and many other pieces of critical information. With this information, a vulnerability management service will provide an overview and in-depth detail about the network and connected devices and recommend actions to take to remediate any issues that are discovered.

One of the important things about a vulnerability scan is it gives you a snapshot of what is on your network and can help you prioritize projects that will improve your security posture right away. A scan only takes from a few hours to a day or so, depending on the size of your network and the sophistication of the scanning software. Once the initial scan is done and updates and issues are resolved, subsequent scans will be easier to remediate and provide an ongoing picture of your current network security status.

When Should You Perform a Vulnerability Scan?

According to NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), vulnerability scans should be run at least quarterly. For organizations that rely on continuous availability of their network for operations, scanning monthly or more frequently is ideal. Especially if they collect or process personal or sensitive data.

Despite vulnerability management recommendations, a recent survey conducted by RapidFire Tools found that 33% of organizations do not conduct any regular vulnerability scanning. 

About 60% of the IT professionals who responded stated they would run scans more frequently or include more assets in their scans if scanning was more affordable.

Why Should You Run Regular Vulnerability Scans?

Vulnerability scans will not create immunity from attack. However, vulnerability management is another layer of protection that makes attacks more difficult. Considering an attack can cost upwards of $7 million in direct and indirect costs and damage an organization’s reputation, it is extremely important to add vulnerability scanning to the IT budget conversation.

Another reason IT professionals do not perform vulnerability scans is that they are perceived as too complicated and time-consuming. Considering that many IT professionals have a wide variety of responsibilities, it can be difficult to squeeze in another responsibility. In this situation it may make sense to outsource the responsibility to a Managed Service Provider who can provide the necessary expertise and day-to-day tasks are not impeded.

Vulnerability Management Solutions

Implementing a vulnerability management program helps organizations evaluate and secure their networks. System weaknesses cannot be remediated until they are discovered. The longer a weakness goes undetected the more likely damage will occur. That is why detection is the key to a successful vulnerability management program. Without detection, assessment and mitigation of security vulnerabilities cannot occur. 

Cyberattacks on all organizations are increasing. They must take a proactive approach to cybersecurity, and a key part of that is vulnerability management. Service providers like Concensus Technologies are a key ingredient to taking the necessary steps without impacting the existing workload of an organization. 

Here are some key reasons why your organization should consider vulnerability management:

• 52% of SMBs reported credentials were their most compromised data
• 83% of SMB data breaches were financially motivated
• 22% of SMBs transferred to remote work without a designated threat prevention plan
• 50% of SMB owners admitted that they do not provide employees with cybersecurity training
• 58% of businesses stated that workers ignore cybersecurity directives
• 42% of IT leaders believed that their static data loss prevention tools will not detect half of all threat incidents

Source: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/12/02/importance-vulnerability-scanning/