Vulnerability remediation is a process that helps organizations find and fix vulnerabilities in their systems.
As cyber-attacks and data breaches become more prevalent, organizations need to be prepared. And that means they need to know how to identify and fix vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, you are likely to face several challenges when seeking to manage these vulnerabilities. Here are some of these challenges and how to overcome them, as well as a few of the benefits of a vulnerability remediation.
There is an Incomplete Asset Inventory
Several companies are operating with little asset inventory data. Some have the assets listed in spreadsheets that are not complete and are rarely updated. Unfortunately, when they are faced with a vulnerability, they do not have a clear picture of the number of OT assets at risk and those requiring immediate patching.
Without a detailed profile of each asset, the management and completion of the remediation procedure are almost impossible. Companies should consider having an asset inventory management solution that helps them do a vulnerability analysis and prioritize tools for the assets at a higher risk of being attacked or bringing the organization to a halt if disrupted.
Inability to Prioritize Threats
Organizations have many assets that need protection. However, not all of them are critical to businesses. It is possible that the IT team finds vulnerabilities in multiple areas of the system through vulnerability scans and deals with each as it appears. While this is not bad, sometimes organizations waste so much energy and resources filling out security gaps on assets that have no impact on the business.
However, organizations should create a prioritization list in their risk-based vulnerability management to always start with critical assets before going down to less sensitive ones. In most cases, you deal with several vulnerabilities in the asset hierarchy by sealing the loopholes in the essential assets of the system.
Many organizations use CVSS scoring to determine which risks to deal with first. However, it should be used with a system that prioritizes vulnerabilities from a critical, attack-centric approach. This approach shows how each vulnerability is likely to be fully exploited and the risk each poses to the most critical jewels.
Inability to Continuously Scan for Vulnerabilities
Any effective vulnerability management approach should be continuous and not activated at specific times. Enterprises that fail to scan for vulnerabilities on an ongoing basis are tied up in a huge flow of vulnerabilities. This is because new vulnerabilities crop up in the software and tracking tools are silent. Several may crop up only to be detected later.
Unfortunately, having to deal with a backlog of security problems simultaneously is both resource-draining and very difficult. Businesses can escape this security nightmare by adopting continuous vulnerability scanning. This way, the few vulnerabilities detected with each scan are dealt with before new ones appear. Therefore, the security posture should always be defined by non-stop improvement.
Poor Flow of Communication
If the security teams do not have clearly defined roles and lines of communication, there is a likelihood that some security issues will go unattended, especially when there are several vulnerabilities to deal with. Each team member must know what they are expected to do and how they fit into the entire vulnerability remediation process. It prevents the duplication of efforts or gaps in the management of the process.
In addition, the team should be enabled to work together to deal with every issue in the systems. This way, each of them sees the big picture and the overall goal that the organization is trying to achieve – including how their roles fit into the objectives. The leadership should always offer support and regular training to keep the teams in the know of emerging threats and ways to counteract them.
Speed of Remediation of Vulnerabilities
Most vulnerabilities can be dealt with by patching the software or updating it. Unfortunately, many organizations are not up to speed when it comes to applying patches and updating software. This gives threats a chance to exploit the vulnerabilities while a simple patch is available. The best way to keep the software patched up or updated is to have automated software that tracks new patches and upgrades, giving operators an easier time determining when and how to update systems while causing minimal disruption of services. This streamlines tasks and enhances reliability.
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