Which Vulnerability Management Tools Are For You

There is a wide range of vulnerability management tools available today. However, not all tools provide the same features, device coverage, and vulnerability remediation options.

Some vulnerability management tools work as a central hub for a range of other licensed products whereas, other management tools aim to act as a singular solution for your scanning, patching, management, and EDR solutions.

Choosing the right tool for your organization requires a considered approach to what features are relevant for your organization, what assets you have that need management, and how you can apply context, threat intelligence, and prioritization to your identified vulnerabilities.

The following solutions have a range of features and device coverage while each still provides two key features, Vulnerability Scanning and Vulnerability Prioritization.

This article includes information regarding Tenable products.  Forge Secure is now a Tenable partner and reseller which should be taken into account with any reviews or recommendations.

Vulnerability Scanning & Management Tools

While there are a range of vulnerability management tools that are advertised, some of the best vulnerability management tools, with some useful features include the following:

What Is Vulnerability Management

As you conduct vulnerability scans, security audits, and penetration tests, there can be a large range of vulnerability data to work with. Collecting the information regarding security weaknesses is one stage of a vulnerability management process which also includes:

• Asset Identification and Management
• Vulnerability Detection
• Vulnerability Reporting
• Vulnerability Remediation
• Remediation Verification and Continual Improvement

As your organization and assets continue to grow the amount of data and vulnerabilities that need to be addressed will also continue to increase.

Vulnerability management tools aim to centralize your data, automate some of these management processes, and provide an easy-to-use solution where you can track your assets and your progress in addressing vulnerabilities.

The Vulnerability Management Lifecycle

As vulnerabilities are identified each issue needs to be managed and addressed. This forms part of the vulnerability management lifecycle, which is discussed in further detail here.

The core elements of a vulnerability management lifecycle, include the following and a management tool should aim to incorporate and ideally automate these core elements.

• Asset Detection And Inventory
• Prioritize Assets Using Business Context
• Identify Vulnerabilities And Prioritize Risk
• Reporting and Tracking Features
• Remediation and Verification Features

Vulnerability Management Software Features

For any tools and licenses you need to invest in, it can be more cost-effective to have multiple features which are covered by a single solution, rather than multiple tools.

Vulnerability management software helps manage your systems from a single point, increases your visibility of issues, and improves your progress with remediation efforts. Useful key features for vulnerability management software can therefore include:

• Vulnerability management tools which allow vulnerability scans to be conducted, rather than needing to import scanning information from a third-party product.
• A vulnerability management tool that allows device management to be conducted, such as management of accounts, patching, and configuration.
• Management Tools that can help maintain your devices in line with compliance standards your organization may adhere to.
• A Vulnerability Management Solution that can allow vulnerabilities and remediation efforts to be tracked over time, providing visibility of your progress or areas of your business that require improvement.
• Reporting tools and integrations with ticketing systems to maintain a proactive threat response for your digital assets and ensure your security teams remain informed and up to date.
• Management software which includes threat detection features, to identify unusual or suspicious behavior occurring on a device and allows this activity to be blocked and quarantined.
• Management Solutions that provide vulnerability prioritization features based on vulnerability severity, business context, security policies, and threat intelligence data.

Benefits Of Effective Vulnerability Management

The overall aim of vulnerability management solutions is to improve your organization’s security, provide visibility and context to your security issues, and increase your efficiency with vulnerability remediation actions. Some of the key features that should be included in vulnerability management tools are:

• Provide Proactive Threat Detection, Threat Response, and Threat Remediation
• Help to Reduce Cyber Risk Exposure
• Maintain Your Organizations Compliance Standards
• Improve Protection From Known And Unknown Risks
• Increase awareness and response times to security threats
• Improve knowledge and information within your security team
• Continuous monitoring of your network devices to minimize the risk of cyber attacks

Platforms to Assess With Vulnerability Management Tools

Within your organization, there will likely be a range of devices and services that are spread across a number of platforms. In addition to your physical assets, such as laptops, phones, servers, and their operating systems there can also be common services such as Microsoft 365, Google WorkSpace, Hosted Web Services, and Cloud Environments.

For a vulnerability management tool that is intended to protect your entire estate, or at least the majority of your estate, it is important to verify the asset coverage that is provided so that a single solution can be used, rather than managing multiple licensed products to provide broad coverage of your estate.

Cons Of Vulnerability Management Tools

Depending on the solution you choose the price of a vulnerability management tool can quickly increase, especially as the number of devices you need to manage increases. Looking for additional features beyond vulnerability management can offset some of the cost of bringing multiple solutions under one central product.

Vulnerability Management tools may not perfectly replicate the exact process you currently use to prioritize vulnerabilities. Where possible find management tools that allow for assets to be categorized and vulnerabilities to be prioritized based on business context and business risk.

As with any solution that aims to automatically identify and manage vulnerabilities, not all vulnerabilities will be identified, Zero-day vulnerabilities will inevitably occur which will not be immediately detected by automated tools.

Where possible utilize management tools which also include asset management features and can detect potential threats based upon suspicious behavior, as this often has the best chance to highlight a compromised device after a zero-day has been exploited.

Additionally, vulnerability assessments or penetration tests will need to be scheduled on a regular basis, using a security professional, to ensure no outstanding security vulnerabilities remain unidentified.

Further Features In Vulnerability Management Tools

While Vulnerability management tools have many core features to look out for when selecting your chosen product, there are some further considerations for developments that may be introduced in the future.

• Malware Detection solutions can be found in several asset management tools and may be incorporated into more vulnerability management software.
• Inclusion of Endpoint Detection & Response Software (EDR). As vulnerability scans and management tools develop they may offer more all-in-one solutions that incorporate endpoint detection of threats, suspicious behavior, and other signs of device compromise.
• Several tools already include an attack path analysis system, which highlights how vulnerabilities in different devices can connect to allow attackers to escalate their access and permissions within a network. Several tools already highlight this pattern, which may become more prevalent.
• AI features may become more common, to improve a range of existing features, such as vulnerability prioritization, automated vulnerability detection and remediation, as well as threat analysis.

Conclusion

The specific vulnerability management solution that integrates into your organization’s security posture will inevitably depend on a range of different factors, and there is no single solution that may work for every company to improve security posture.

Some of the top vulnerability management tools also have a fundamental issue for many small and medium-sized businesses which is cost.

Although vulnerability management features can be useful for every company, the price can often deter many from implementing some core security principles, or delay security testing.

Where budgets do not allow for tools for vulnerability management, there are a range of free-to-use asset management and vulnerability tools, discussed in further detail here.

Many of these tools, combined with some security best practices and internal company policies can fill in the gaps from not using a licensed security tool, albeit with some more manual tests and checks that need to be performed to maintain effective vulnerability management systems.

While good security practices are not always easy to maintain, it is important to stay vigilant with your approach to security as the number of identified vulnerabilities and cyber threats is continually increasing.

Where you have any further questions regarding different cybersecurity solutions, our consultants are available to address any concerns you may have.