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What is Vulnerability Scanning and How Does it Work?
Vulnerability scanning is a crucial element of any robust cyber security strategy.
To mitigate the risk of cyber threats, you need to be aware of weaknesses and vulnerabilities that are present in your systems and patch them before they can be exploited.
So, what is vulnerability scanning and how does it work?
Vulnerability Scanning
Vulnerability scanning is a process where an organisation’s computer systems, networks, or applications are scanned to identify potential weaknesses or vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities have the potential to be exploited by cyber criminals, giving them unauthorised access to an organisation's systems, and putting their sensitive data at risk.
The main objective of vulnerability scanning is to provide an organisation with a comprehensive view of their security posture and help develop effective strategies to remediate and prevent these threats.
How Does Vulnerability Scanning Work?
A vulnerability scan searches an organisation’s systems to find any weak spots that can be exploited.
The vulnerability scanning process consists of:
Identify Assets to be Scanned - The first step involves identifying the systems, networks, or applications that will be scanned. This could range from one device to an entire network.
Deploy the Scan - The vulnerability scan is deployed. The vulnerability scanner searches the assets for known vulnerabilities, which could be caused by misconfigurations, outdated software, weak passwords, or several other factors.
Review the Results – When the scan is complete, the results are analysed. These results reveal discovered vulnerabilities categorised by the level of severity.
Remediation Strategy - Based on the results of the scan, a remediation strategy will be developed and implemented. These strategies could include patching outdated software or vulnerabilities, correcting configurations, strengthening security policies and much more.
Rescan the Assets – After the remediation strategies have been actioned, the assets will need to be rescanned to ensure that all vulnerabilities have been effectively patched and resolved.
Why is Vulnerability Scanning Important?
Vulnerability scanning is important because it gives you the opportunity to detect and patch any weaknesses and vulnerabilities in your system before they can be exploited by cyber criminals.
Identifying these weaknesses allows you to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to cyber threats, making the remediation much easier.
Deploying vulnerability scans is also a requirement when it comes to compliance with certain regulatory standards, including the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), and can help towards compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ISO 27001.
Regularly conducting and acting upon vulnerability scans can help an organisation maintain trust with its customers and shareholders, as it demonstrates their commitment to security and protecting the sensitive data they hold.
Get Started with Vulnerability Scanning
At 3B Data Security, we regularly conduct vulnerability scans, so our staff have first-hand, up-to-date knowledge of the vulnerabilities cyber criminals seek out.
Our expert team will provide you with a comprehensive analysis of your vulnerabilities, including recommendations on how to secure your systems and remediate any identified risks.
We constantly monitor the market for the most advanced tools and methods to identify vulnerabilities and use a combination of “best of breed” security tools to perform our testing.
