Vulnerability Management: the pillar of cybersecurity

Article by Arthur Capella.

In an enterprise scenario where cyber threats are constantly evolving, vulnerability management has become a fundamental practice for protecting digital assets. This process is critical to ensure that organizations are always one step ahead of attackers in detecting, assessing, and remediating vulnerabilities in their systems before they can be exploited by malicious actors.

While it’s a constant work in progress that needs to be improved every day, you’ve surely heard someone say that there are more vulnerabilities than we can fix, making all of this effort seem insignificant. But that’s not the case.

The first step in reducing exposure is to identify what the faults are. This involves using automated tools that analyze systems and identify potential weaknesses, from outdated software to misconfigurations. Once these vulnerabilities are identified, the next step is to assess which ones are most likely to cause harm.

Cybersecurity teams face vast amounts of fragmented threat intelligence and public vulnerability data. Without threat context and investigative information, every vulnerability becomes a priority, creating doubts, a lot of stress, and a low-productivity scenario for teams.

According to Tenable Research, only 3% of vulnerabilities result in exposure, so it’s important to prioritize those with the greatest severity and potential impact on the organization.

In this sense, teams should assess and prioritize asset risks based on criticality, ease of use, monitor improvement trends to meet Service Agreement Levels (SLAs) and track progress towards desired results. This step is crucial for efficient allocation of resources and reduction of strategic risks.

This management is not a static process but an ongoing one. Cyber ​​threats are constantly evolving, requiring organizations to constantly monitor systems. Regular updates, periodic scans, and ongoing assessments are important to identify new vulnerabilities and ensure security measures are always up to date.

Vulnerability management is a vital component of any organization’s cybersecurity strategy. Its effective implementation requires a well-defined and disciplined process with clear steps that can contribute to the ongoing protection of digital assets.

By implementing a comprehensive vulnerability management approach, organizations will not only strengthen their defenses but also demonstrate a commitment to governance, security, and resilience in the digital environment.

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General Manager of Tenable in Brazil since June 2019. With over 20 years of experience in the cybersecurity sector, Capella was responsible for the launch and management of Palo Alto Networks in Brazil and previously for the operation of IronPort in the country. He also held management and business development roles at IBM, Xerox and Embratel. The manager holds a degree in Business Administration from UFRJ and an MBA in Marketing and Strategies from the same institution.