One of the first steps when starting an information security program is vulnerability management. It starts with identifying servers and workstations and regularly scanning them for vulnerabilities using industry standard tools.

At the bare minimum, every organization should scan their internet accessible network regularly. Every day new vulnerabilities are discovered, making your previously secure network vulnerable to compromise. By identifying and remediating vulnerabilities quickly, your organization can stay ahead of malicious hackers.

Typically, an organization will start scanning the network for vulnerabilities that it can see through the network. This will be similar to what an attacker sees. This is often referred to as an unauthenticated scan because no credentials are provided to the scanner to log into the servers and workstations.

A deeper level of scanning can be performed by providing the scanner with a username and password to authenticate to each system. This can identify vulnerabilities on software that is not accessible to the network. Microsoft Office would be a good example of this. This type of scan is usually referred to an authenticated scan.

Did you know that Triton Infosec can help you get a vulnerability management program started in less than 48 hours? This is what it will look like:

1. Client identifies the IP addresses of the external and internal networks. If this is unknown, Triton can help discover what belongs to the organization.
2. If relevant, the client will white-list the scanners IP address so that we reduce the risk of false negatives.
3. Triton will perform vulnerability scans across the external and internal networks.
4. Vulnerabilities will be reported back to the organization for remediation.

Independent of the organization.There are always a significant amount of vulnerabilities. Here is a guideline as to what you should priorize first:

1. Unauthenticated Critical and High external vulnerabilities.
2. Unauthenticated Critical and High internal vulnerabilities.
3. Authenticated Critical and High external vulnerabilities.
   
4. Unauthenticated Medium external vulnerabilities.
5. Authenticated Critical and High internal vulnerabilities
6. Authenticated Medium internal vulnerabilities.

Keep in mind that each organization is unique and may have unique prioritization requirements. Ready to jump start your vulnerability management program? Let's talk.