Performing a vulnerability assessment<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Plan:<\/span><\/strong> It is vital to have a thorough plan for your vulnerability scans. The basics are to decide the scope of your scan and the method of your scan. If this is your first vulnerability assessment then it is recommended that you start off smaller, to prevent being overwhelmed by the number of vulnerabilities detected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Scan:<\/span><\/strong> Perform the scans using the chosen methods. Internal vulnerabilities are as critical to remediate as any vulnerabilities present in externally facing assets, so your vulnerability management program should include them. Scans can be authenticated and unauthenticated, but the best scans are those that are authenticated for better visibility and effective vulnerability remediation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Analyse & Define Actions:<\/span><\/strong> Ensure data from the scan is thoroughly analyzed to identify and effectively prioritize the vulnerabilities, to create an action plan to mitigate them. The way in which you will mitigate your vulnerabilities is critical to your organization’s security posture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Implement Changes:<\/span><\/strong> Using the plan created in Step 3, the remediating actions will be completed in an attempt to eliminate vulnerabilities and therefore cybersecurity risks. If any remediation steps are unsuccessful or problems occur, the vulnerability management program must account for unsuccessful remediations or business requirements that prevent them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Rescan:<\/span><\/strong> A rescan should then be performed to ensure the changes have been made successfully, and all targeted vulnerabilities have been removed or reduced as planned. This is an ongoing process and it will likely take multiple attempts before vulnerabilities are removed or reduced to an appropriate level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n