When you think about it, the world seems to be full of Internet wolves that are trying to attack computer systems and websites around the world, almost at will. Every day you read stories of businesses that have fallen prey to viruses and worms that have turned their businesses into a computer graveyard.
It's not hard to imagine the damage to your reputation if your system was to become invaded or you were to suffer mass of data loss, especially if you don't have adequate backup systems in place. Fortunately, developing a vulnerability management program is not as difficult as it first seems. By following a few simple steps you can minimise your risks and get back to focusing on your business with the peace of mind that comes with a secure backup.
Vulnerability management is not a one size fits all' proposition. In the first place, you need to spend some time, usually with some specialist advice and direction, analysing and quantifying the various aspects of your computer network. It's only after this step is complete that you can start the process of developing an action plan. But before we go any further let's look at the planning steps you need to take to implement an effective program.
The first step is to complete an inventory of all your computer and network assets. The asset listing needs to be absolutely complete and that's why you need professional assistance to ensure that nothing is left out. The tools you will eventually use to protect your system need to cover every asset and one simple omission can render the whole program useless.
The second part of developing the management program is to ensure that the management tools you'll be using can easily access each of your assets so that ongoing scanning monitors the complete list of devices that are present in your system. The tools you will be using will also help you to develop baselines against which possible weaknesses and exposure points in your infrastructure can be measured.
The third step establishes the remediation process by ensuring that patches are installed when necessary. It is important that this information is then posted to your asset lists so you have completely updated list. In this way, any assets which have not been patched can be targeted for vulnerability checks.
Deciding which tools to use in vulnerability management means that you first have to understand each tools capacity and capability. In order to do this effectively you will more than likely need professional assistance so that your penetration testing program is totally effective.