Vulnerabilities come in all shapes and sizes but generally fall into the following categories:

Any vulnerability can have a severe impact to your organization, so taking precautions to reduce or illuminate them makes good business sense.

To maintain the trust of your stakeholders, customers and staff, your organization has to protect sensitive data. The loss or theft of such data has far-reaching consequences, but for threat actors, the financial gains are irresistible. In the last few years, cybercriminals have adopted generative AI and automation to speed and scale attacks. As a result, software vulnerability exploitation is now the top attack vector. It doesn’t require development of sophisticated social engineering or phishing content, and a single vulnerability can put hundreds or thousands of businesses at risk.

Attack prevention is one advantage of good vulnerability management, but it also ensures regulatory compliance, enhances visibility, and provides a competitive edge. Here are the key reasons why prioritizing vulnerability management is essential for any organization:

Start by evaluating your infrastructure and the data you need to protect in your organization. Dependent on the sector you operate in, you may have additional regulatory considerations. For example, payment data and patient details come under very specific controls with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

As part of this exercise, you should consider third party suppliers too, since your organization is still responsible for data breaches, even if they happen outside of your network. All businesses that supply federal government in the United States are required to provide a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) for their products. This is essentially a comprehensive list detailing all the components, libraries, and modules included in a software application. SBOMs are crucial for managing software supply chains, ensuring security, and maintaining compliance by allowing organizations to quickly identify and address vulnerabilities in their software components – so you may want to request an SBOM from your suppliers in the same way.

In addition to the software used to process data, vulnerabilities may arise from the devices used in your infrastructure. So, maintaining an accurate inventory is also critical. For smaller businesses, this can be relatively straightforward, but there are still lots of factors that can increase complexity. For example, cloud hosted infrastructure is typically managed using hypervisor to enable multiple, virtual machines to run on a single physical server. Alternatively, your organization may support remote workers and bring your own device (BYOD) policies. As a result, most organizations use a tool to centrally track and manage devices.

Once you have evaluated your data, software, suppliers, and infrastructure – you should also consider your staff. Without security awareness training, users can be an overlooked source of vulnerabilities.

Security policies are a fundamental part of your organization’s Information Security Management System (ISMS). They provide rules and guidelines to govern access control, data protection, incident response and compliance. Of course, every organization is unique, but the diagram below shows a typical security policy framework and can be used as a good starting point.

You can find weak spots by scanning your systems and apps for flaws that hackers could use. This can be done manually; however, most IT and Security Operations teams use tools to spot old software, bad settings, and missing fixes. It’s also important to keep up with new threats by checking security news and advisories from sources like NIST, CVE, and vendor bulletins. In addition to maintaining an online vulnerability database, Syxsense hosts monthly webinars to provide advice on the latest updates. You can also test your defences by simulating attacks to find hidden issues. Rank weak spots by how dangerous they are and fix the most serious ones first.

If vulnerability discovery is difficult, then might think vulnerability evaluation and prioritization might be more straightforward. Unfortunately, this is not the case, since not all vulnerabilities are equal. Furthermore, an individual vulnerability may impact different organizations in different ways. For example, a business that enforces multi-factor authentication on an application might not be impacted in the same way as one that doesn’t. This one of the reasons why it is so important to understand your environment and the assets you want to protect.

The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) rates security flaws from 0 to 10. The score looks at how easy it is to exploit, what access is needed, and the impact on data safety. Higher scores mean bigger risks, helping teams fix the most serious issues first. This system is used for software bugs but can also be used for rating other issues, like operating system flaws, hardware problems or an application configuration problem that could result in unauthorized access.

The Center for Internet Security (CIS) maintains a set of benchmarks that provide a clear, step by step guide for setting up and configuring systems securely. Benchmarks cover a wide range of tech processes, from servers to cloud setups. These benchmarks help you to lock down your systems, cut risks, and meet compliance needs.

Relying purely on a CVSS score provides no guarantee to avoid incidents. Your team should take into account how likely an exploit is and the potential impact it could have on your organization. In particular, if there is a risk of exposing sensitive information, the vulnerability should have the highest priority for your team.

A zero-day vulnerability is a hidden bug in software or hardware. Even if the product vendor is aware of the issue, they haven’t yet issued a fix. This makes it easy for hackers to attack. In 2017, the WannaCry ransomware attack exploited a zero-day flaw in Windows. Hackers used this flaw to spread ransomware, locking up data on thousands of computers worldwide until users paid a ransom. Even if there is no patch for the vulnerability, there are still measures that can be taken to mitigate the risk, however.

You can think of remediation and mitigation as your superheroes in the war against vulnerabilities; but they have different roles to play. Put simply:

• Mitigation means taking steps to lessen the risk or impact of a flaw. This could be adding extra security, isolating systems, or limiting access to data. It’s used when a full fix isn’t ready yet.
• Remediation means fixing the flaw completely. This could be applying a patch, updating software, or changing settings to remove the threat. It aims to solve the problem for good.

Mitigation is about reducing risk now, while remediation is about fixing the problem for good.

As we’ve already covered, whilst a Zero Day Vulnerability has no fix, it may be possible to mitigate risk by taking steps to raise security in different ways. These could include:

• Use of additional security software like antivirus and firewall technologies
• Isolating machines or devices that vulnerable
• Enforcing multi-factor authentication or IP address “allowlisting” to restrict access to vulnerable applications
• Enforcing use of an approved VPN technology
• Enforcing password rotation
• Downgrading an application to a previous safe version or delaying upgrades until introduced bugs have a patch

When it comes to vulnerability remediation, the long-term fix will typically be issued by the product vendor. In some instances, the update will by automatically applied – especially in the case of web or hosted applications. It’s essential to keep up to date with fixes and you can use the following ways to do this:

TOP TIP: You should only obtain fixes from a trusted source, always check information on official websites and be wary emails about vulnerabilities in case they are part of a phishing campaign.

Once you have an official fix for a vulnerability, it will require testing before it’s implemented. To check if a fix works, test it to make sure the flaw is gone. Look for any new issues it might cause. Watch system logs and alerts to see if the flaw shows up again. Do tests to ensure nothing else breaks. Keep records of the flaw, the fix, and your tests. This helps keep your system safe and sound.

These steps can help ensure that vulnerabilities are effectively addressed and that your systems remain secure.

Bear in mind, you should use appropriate steps to verify and test mitigation actions as well as applying remediations.

Vulnerability scanners have two basic jobs: they check for common and known software vulnerabilities and configuration settings that could be exploited. Automation tools provide several advantages:

• They improve productivity for your team and can identify vulnerabilities much faster
• They can illuminate issues caused by human error, so they are more reliable
• They can monitor round the clock, helping you to check systems that used in different time zones
• Continuous monitoring prevents vulnerabilities being missed between manual checks
• They typically scan across multiple device types and operating systems, reducing the need for specialist staff
• They can save time and money

Placing your trust in an automated vulnerability scanner can, however, have some drawbacks. Coverage is the first aspect, any tool deployed should support the devices and software you use. Even if this is the case, an automated scanner may not identify every vulnerability: the complexity of your systems can make it difficult and new types of vulnerabilities can go undiscovered as tools are configured to detect ones that are already known. Scanners require frequent updates to ensure their databases contain the latest threats, so maintenance requirements should be factored in. In addition, a lack of business context can lead to false positives and make it difficult to establish priorities. Before you select a scanner for your organization, you should find out if provides you comprehensive remediation support. This may come in the form of documentation and published scripts; some solutions provide automated remediation features.

Even if you’re using vulnerability management solutions, manual vulnerability assessments will still be a critical component of your overall strategy. They may be time-consuming are require specialist skills, but the benefits justify the investment. Manual assessments can use multiple techniques including penetration testing, configuration checks, tabletop exercises and code reviews.

Valuable use cases for manual vulnerability assessments include:

• Understanding your environment in the context of your business operations
• Establishing internal benchmarks for measuring improvement
• Proving compliance adherence to obtain cyber insurance
• Investigating complex vulnerabilities not covered by scanners – in particular, when multiple applications are integrated
• Documenting software bill of materials (SBOM) details

The biggest drawback to manual vulnerability assessments is that they are resource intensive, both in terms of time and expertise. Relying solely on manual reviews is beyond the budgets of most organizations, so using a hybrid approach makes good sense.

Together, these tools help create a robust security posture by automating critical processes, reducing the risk of human error, and ensuring systems are both up-to-date and correctly configured.

Volume and False Alerts: Many alerts are false, making it hard to find real threats and putting teams under pressure. Using smart tools to rank risks can cut down on noise and save time.

Trusted Sources vs. Fake Sites: It’s key to get patches and info from trusted sources. Fake sites can harm your system. Always check sources and teach your team to spot real ones. Threat actors will often exploit serious vulnerabilities using posts or websites that contain malicious links, as they know operations staff will be in a hurry to find a solution.

Fast Deployment Without Testing: Rushing patches without tests can cause issues. Use a phased rollout to control the process and watch for problems, keeping systems stable and secure.

Tool sprawl: It’s tempting to sign up for new products and services that can help with new threats as they emerge. Over time, however, this can result in a complex operations stack that is costly and difficult to maintain. There are many benefits to consolidation, especially when it comes to hiring and retaining skilled staff. On the flipside, relying on a single platform to manage every aspect of vulnerability management and security may introduce a single point of failure without the right resilience measures in place.

Managing vulnerabilities is crucial, but how do you ensure top-notch security without sacrificing usability? Here are some key challenges and strategies:

It may seem daunting, but new types of vulnerabilities are constantly emerging, so research and training should be an ongoing exercise for your team. Cybersecurity certifications will teach operations staff to understand how components work and how they can be targeted, but they are of limited value if they are not kept up to date.

Keeping your network secure is more important than ever and this means overcoming the unique challenges you face in managing vulnerabilities. Here are some best practices to help you navigate these challenges effectively:

To avoid mistakes and boost visibility, it’s key to streamline IT and security tasks. This means linking tools and processes to create a smooth system that improves team communication and coordination. Automation helps a lot here, cutting down on manual work and lowering the chance of human error. By using integrated platforms, you can make sure all security steps are applied and watched over across the board. This not only makes things run smoother but also gives a clear view of your security status, making it easier to spot and fix issues.

Conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify and address potential weak spots before they can be exploited. By scheduling these checks on a consistent basis, you can stay ahead of threats and ensure your systems remain secure. Automated scans can be set up to run at regular intervals, providing continuous monitoring and quick identification of any issues that arise.

Integrating vulnerability management into your DevOps process is essential for maintaining security without slowing down development. This means incorporating security checks into every stage of the development lifecycle, from code commits to deployment. By doing so, you can catch and address vulnerabilities early, reducing the risk of security breaches. Syxsense offers tools that seamlessly integrate with your DevOps workflows, making it easy to maintain a high level of security while keeping your development process agile.

Your team plays a critical role in maintaining the security of your network. Providing regular training and awareness programs you can ensure everyone understands the importance of security and knows how to identify potential threats. This includes training on recognizing phishing attempts, understanding the importance of strong passwords, and knowing how to report suspicious activity. A well-informed team is your first line of defense against cyber threats.

Despite your best efforts, security incidents can still occur. Having a well-defined incident response plan in place is essential for minimizing the impact of any breaches. This plan should outline the steps to take in the event of an incident, including how to contain the breach, assess the damage, and recover from the attack. Regularly reviewing and updating your incident response plan ensures that you are prepared to respond quickly and effectively to any security incidents.

With these best practices, you can tackle the challenges of vulnerability management head-on. Syxsense solutions are designed to provide robust security while maintaining ease of use, manage vulnerabilities without compromising productivity.

Challenge: Iron Road needed a solution to manage and secure their IT infrastructure efficiently.

Solution: They implemented Syxsense, which provided comprehensive endpoint management and security.

Results: Significant improvements in IT operations, including reduced downtime and enhanced security. The team was able to detect a zero-day vulnerability on an unauthorized application, before it could be exploited.

Future Plans: Iron Road plans to expand their use of Syxsense to further optimize their IT environment.

Background An electrical distributor with over 300 employees across 12 locations specializes in Industrial Automation and power solutions, providing high-quality products to various industries. ​

Challenge Facing inconsistent service and urgent security threats, the distributor needed a unified endpoint management and security solution to support their distributed workforce and address critical vulnerabilities like Follina. ​

Solution The distributor adopted Syxsense to manage hundreds of endpoints, delivering patches and updates without end-user reliance. ​ They upgraded to Syxsense Enterprise for its automation and pre-built vulnerability scripts, enabling efficient configuration changes over the cloud. ​ Key benefits included:

• Reduced mean-time-to-respond (MTTR): Automated vulnerability scanning and remediation scripts saved critical time. ​
• Near real-time monitoring: Accurate detection and remediation of vulnerabilities with detailed reporting for executive assurance. ​
• Time savings: Eliminated hours of driving to physical locations and reliance on end users for updates. ​
• Efficient updates: Easy scheduling and reporting of patches and Windows Feature Updates. ​

Managing and Securing Devices Across Multiple States ​ The six-person IT team supports 12 locations across the south-eastern US. ​ Previously outsourcing management, they brought it in-house in 2021 for better visibility and operations. ​ The transition to a hybrid work model during the pandemic increased the burden on the IT team, who struggled with updating remote devices. ​ Syxsense’s automated workflow allowed them to push updates automatically and monitor the status globally. ​

Eliminating Vulnerabilities and Reducing Risk ​ When the “Follina” vulnerability (CVE 2022-30190) emerged, the distributor used Syxsense’s pre-built scripts to apply Microsoft’s workaround quickly. ​ This reduced the risk and burden on the IT team, ensuring the company’s endpoints were secure. ​ Real-time vulnerability reports provided leadership with clear insights into the environment’s health and risk status. ​

Conclusion Syxsense significantly improved the distributor’s endpoint management and security, saving time and reducing risks. ​ The IT team and leadership gained confidence in the security of their infrastructure. ​

America’s largest healthcare payment system was crippled by a cyberattack from the BlackCat (ALPHV) ransomware group in March 2024. The incident was primarily caused by compromised credentials used to access a Citrix portal that lacked multifactor authentication (MFA). This allowed the ransomware group ALPHV to infiltrate the Change Healthcare’s network.

BlackCat is known for targeting various sectors using diverse attack vectors, so IT and security teams are urged to adopt proactive defense strategies to reduce their attack surface. Syxsense Solution: Syxsense offers an automated platform to help manage vulnerabilities and enhance security posture.

AI is revolutionizing vulnerability management software, both in terms of detecting and predicting vulnerabilities and generating remediation tools to fix them. This will help organizations reduce the time taken to fix vulnerabilities to reduce risk. The same is true, however, of threat actors. For example, AI can help hackers to speed up Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) gathering, accelerating their ability to find and exploit system flaws. Automation techniques allow threat actors use these exploits at scale leading to vulnerability exploitation being the number one attack vector in 2023.

Automating patch and vulnerability management is crucial for maintaining compliance and safeguarding your organization’s data. Challenges faced by IT and security leaders include staffing shortages, tighter budgets, and increasing compliance mandates. Our recent article emphasizes the importance of automation in overcoming these hurdles by streamlining patch management and vulnerability remediation, ultimately enhancing efficiency and reducing the risk of breaches.

Why It’s Important: Reading this article is essential for anyone involved in IT and security management. It provides valuable insights into how automation can help organizations stay compliant, protect sensitive information, and optimize resources. By understanding the benefits of automated patch and vulnerability management, you can better prepare your organization to face the challenges of today’s cybersecurity landscape.

There is an urgent need for organizations to adopt proactive security measures to combat the rising costs of cybercrime, projected to reach $10.5 trillion by 2025.

This is important because cyber threats becoming more sophisticated, the article and 71% of organizations are increasing their investment in proactive security to stay ahead of potential attacks. A recent Omdia report covers common proactive measures, challenges to adoption, and significant benefits like reduced risk and improved compliance. It also offers a way to benchmark your cybersecurity strategy against industry leaders.

Keeping ahead of emerging threats, maintaining compliance, and improving the digital experience of your users, requires the right combination of technology and skills. Getting the balance right isn’t easy, however, if you follow these principles, you organization can reduce risk and even costs:

• Look for solutions that combine capabilities to reduce tool sprawl
• Favour tools with open integration capabilities and ready-made connectors to reduce maintenance and testing overheads
• Focus on remediation capabilities when selecting vulnerability management solutions, especially automated remediation