Why a Vulnerability Assessment is so Important

Understanding vulnerability assessments and why
you need them

A vulnerability assessment is an essential tool in your company's arsenal. Data breaches are on the rise and attacks on your network are increasing in sophistication every day. To truly protect your organization's data, you need a clear picture of what's at stake, and where you need to apply increased diligence. If you're just beginning to dive down into the massive cybersecurity discussion, these concepts may be new to you—and frankly, you're not alone. Luckily, the network security experts at Locknet® Managed IT have your back and are here to help you understand why a vulnerability assessment is so important and what it entails.
Read on.

Defining vulnerability assessments

What is a vulnerability assessment? It's a comprehensive evaluation of your organization's network to determine where there are gaps in protection and where threats could potentially gain a foothold. This may include patching that needs to be done, or software shortcomings on appliances, network infrastructure, or other 3rd party applications that could be exploited by cybercriminals to gain access to your network, capture your data, or commit other cyberattacks on your business.

When conducted properly, a vulnerability assessment not only identifies risks and potential burdens to the organization in the event of exploitation of a vulnerability, but it gives an organization the data it needs to prioritize and remediate deficiencies before the network faces an attack.

Here's what a vulnerability assessment includes

What can you expect with a vulnerability assessment? Here are the steps a vulnerability assessment may include.

At the start, your assessment will commence with software known as a vulnerability scanner. This software tests your system to ferret out any vulnerabilities based on known issues. Then, you'll receive a report that details what was found, how serious the vulnerabilities are, and how you should proceed to address those issues.

• At this point, your network security partner will provide an analysis of the results. These experts should customize a detailed report of the risks your network faces if these issues are not addressed. Threats that are active are taken into consideration, and the expert will make recommendations for which problems you should prioritize because of the seriousness of the threat and the risk of exploitation. Not all devices are as accessible to cybercriminals, and not all issues pose the same level of risk; this analysis affords you clarity on these considerations.
  
  
• Patching can often address known vulnerabilities. The issue is, it's easy to fall behind on patching protocols, due to the sheer volume of vulnerabilities that are discovered—they can number tens of thousands every year. Although patching is a critical component to keeping vulnerabilities at a minimum, it’s incredibly time-consuming to manage. Chances are, most small or enterprise-sized organizations don’t have the personnel or the discretionary time to dedicate to patching needs. If your organization struggles to keep up with patching, you're not alone. That's where many companies recognize the importance of partnering with a network security provider like Locknet. Locknet has dedicated in-house patch management and vulnerability experts who can take this off your plate and relieve your IT team of this time-consuming task so they can focus on other strategic areas of your IT.

Searching for a vulnerability assessment partner?

When it's time to find a network security provider to conduct vulnerability assessments and facilitate remediation, the experts at Locknet® Managed IT are here to help. Contact us to learn more about how we can protect your network from attack and exploitation of software vulnerabilities.