After the pandemic, we all know how cybersecurity attacks have surged all around the world. In fact, as per the latest study, the increase of cyberattacks have been by 600% after the COVID-19 hit all around the globe. This is a considerable number to defend and counter. But fortunately, we now have the process and technology to do the same.

The biggest step for any company to deal with the respective situation is by improving their vulnerability management process. If you are thinking about going ahead with this approach, you have certainly landed on the right page. We are here to discuss the best possible steps that can be taken to enhance the vulnerability management process and stay strong against all kinds of cyberattacks and issues. But before understanding the steps, let’s first understand what vulnerabilities are and how they can affect organizations around.

Vulnerabilities And Threats: What It Means in the World of Cybersecurity?

When it comes to vulnerabilities and threats, these are the terms that are taken into consideration together, but they both are different from each other. Let’s understand what they both are and how it affects organizations drastically.

Vulnerabilities: If there is any gap or weakness in the company system or process that the hacker and attacker can target, then it is acknowledged as vulnerability. If these vulnerabilities are not addressed, then it can attract hackers and make you suffer from a data breach situation. It can not only happen to companies but individuals as well.

Threats: If any particular tools or technology can cause issues like cyberattacks or any other form of cyber issue, then it is acknowledged as a threat to the company. The organizations must be aware of the threats as they not only network inherent but also make the most out of gaps and vulnerabilities in the company network and infrastructure.

These are the challenges that organizations around the world face in terms of cybersecurity issues. To deal with the same, organizations are investing heavily in the domain of vulnerability management. Let’s take a deep look at it as well.

Vulnerability Management: Synopsis

The practice of assessing and dealing with the potential threats to the company network, and IT infrastructure is acknowledged as vulnerability management. The primary objective of this management team is to assess the possible door to the threat or vulnerability and then fix them at the quickest. They are also working on techniques that can help businesses remain protected from the latest cyber-attacks as well.

The process involved in the domain of vulnerability management is identifying, assessing, and resolving cyber issues already present within the company. This is done so that the present vulnerabilities cannot be exploited to harm the organizations in which way. But, it is essential that the companies keep on working on the approach to improve their vulnerability management techniques.

This is why we are here to understand the steps to be taken to improve vulnerability management. Let’s assess the same below.

Steps to Improve The Vulnerability Management Process

We all know how cyber attackers are working on different ways to get into organizations and steal their data. So, it is important that the organizations keep on improving their vulnerability management process so that they are a step ahead of the hackers and attackers in every which way. Below mentioned are the different steps that can be followed to enhance the vulnerability management process. Take a look:

Step 1: Identification

The first step to work on to improve vulnerability management procedures is a proper assessment of the gaps in the business process, operations, and IT infrastructure. So, it is important that you need up your identification process to find the latest threats and vulnerabilities beforehand and makes it easier for the experts to take any action on it without making to late. This identification process needs proper scanning, and it needs to be done regularly. Doing so can help you track any kind of vulnerabilities before the hacker and keep your business safe and protected.

Step 2: Analysing

The next step that needs to be there in your vulnerability management procedure is proper analysis of the vulnerabilities that have been tracked in the network or infrastructure. You need to check how dangerous the respective vulnerability can prove to be and how it can be dealt with to keep the company protected. It needs proper analysis to get an appropriate solution to manage it efficiently. The analysis comes with a set of questions, and few of them are:

• Was it easy to identify the respective vulnerability?
• Is the attacker already exploiting the respective vulnerability?
• How challenging can it be to handle the attacker using the respective vulnerability?
• What are the risks attached to the vulnerabilities?
• How long does this type of vulnerability exist?
• What can be the best possible steps to deal with the respective vulnerability.

Every vulnerability is different, so the queries can be different. You need to go to the route of the vulnerability to take appropriate action against the same.

Step 3: Addressing

After you are clear with the severity of the threat and vulnerability, the next step is to take any action to get it resolved. If there are many, it is essential that you assess the prior one to be resolved so that the risks attached gets low. The best possible action plan to deal with the vulnerabilities can include remediation, mitigation, and acceptance of the same. You need to have a professional take the stated action to avail the result you are looking for.

Step 4: Monitoring and Reporting 

The last step that is a must in your vulnerability management procedure is proper monitoring of the actions taken and then detailed reports as well. This can help remain updated about the task being done and the cybersecurity-related issues precisely. Monitoring the vulnerabilities can help assess whether the company is at risk or not, and accordingly, you can create the report in detail to get approval for further actions.

Last Words

These are the steps to be taken to improve your vulnerability management procedure. This can help you keep your organization secure from all sorts of cybersecurity issues and enhance the chances of better operations. All you need is the assistance of the right cybersecurity experts to stay away from all kinds of vulnerabilities and risks to your business data and network. Good luck!