How can you use vulnerability scanners to improve your incident response process?

Leveraging vulnerability scanners can significantly enhance the incident response process: - Proactive Identification: Regularly scan for vulnerabilities to identify and address potential security gaps before they're exploited. - Prioritization of Threats: Use scanner insights to prioritize response efforts based on the severity of vulnerabilities. - Incident Prevention: Patching identified vulnerabilities reduces the likelihood of incidents, allowing the focus on more sophisticated threats. - Automated Alerts: Set up automatic alerts for new vulnerabilities, ensuring rapid response. - Post-Incident Analysis: After an incident, use scanners to verify that vulnerabilities have been effectively remediated.

First of all prevention is better than cure. by proactive scanning , identifying and patching the vulnerabilities, we are substantially reducing the threat vector. Regular scanning and patching gives us clear visibility and ability to prioritize actions. additionally know of severity of vulnerability helps in prioritizing remediation also. this further helps in dealing with regulators and shareholders, reduces reputational damage in case of an incident, helps in insurances process also.

Having a Vulnerability management program or even just a scanning service today is a no brainer and one of the foundational requirements for a good security practice. Not knowing what vulnerabilities are present in the environment is like flying without knowing if your plane is safe. Many organisations are still battling with what is essential for them when they start their cyber maturity journey. Vulnerability scanning is certainly one of those essential elements to provide visibility and ensure the ability to detect, protect and respond.

By using vulnerability scanners, organizations can gain valuable insights into their risk posture and prioritize their remediation efforts. This information can also assist incident response (IR) teams in identifying the most critical systems to protect, monitor, and isolate in case of a cyberattack.

Proper vulnerability scanning can be a tremendous help to the incident response (IR) process, and in more ways than most people might think. Obviously, knowing what vulnerabilities exist in your environment can help your IR team prepare for what they may have to respond to. Knowing what you have in your environment, however, is arguably just as, if not more, important to know when it comes to IR. Sadly, most organizations do not have a reliable asset inventory. Setting up vulnerability scanning can help shine a light on this issue before an incident happens and, in some cases, can also help you identify endpoints and systems you may not have known about. Having this information before an incident occurs can save time, money, and resources.

There are several types of vulnerability scans , including: -Network Scanning identifies potential security weaknesses in network services. -Web Application Scanning which assess the security of websites and web-based services. -Database Scanning which identifies possible misconfigurations, weak access controls, and SQL injection risks, etc. -Wireless Network Scans which examine encryption methods, access controls, and potential points of unauthorized access, etc. -Host Scanning which examines vulnerabilities on individual devices (servers, computers, OT devices etc.) within a network. -Cloud Infrastructure Scanning that assess vulnerabilities in cloud-based services. -Application Security Testing which includes (SAST) and (DAST)

It is always a good idea to test systems with a variety of tools, both open-source and commercial, in order to minimize the possibility of false positives or negatives. Utilizing multiple tools allows organizations to cross-check results from one tool against another, thus improving vulnerability detection process accuracy. This procedure offers a more thorough understanding of the security posture of the system in addition to aiding in the identification of discrepancies between the results of several scanners. Combining open-source and proprietary tools can also make up for their shortcomings and leverage their advantages, resulting in a more complete and dependable cybersecurity plan.

There are distinct benefits to using different kinds of vulnerability scanners for system security. Network scanners look for vulnerabilities throughout your network. Web-related concerns are the main focus of web application scanners. Host-based scanners check each machine for security flaws. Database scanners seek out vulnerabilities within databases. Scanners for wireless networks assess the security of wireless networks. Every kind of scanner has a distinct purpose in assisting you in thoroughly evaluating and fortifying your system against possible attacks.

There is also a vulnerability scanner for Open Source libraries used in your code repository. This shall be used in a wide variety of applications ranging from web application, database till embedded systems, and end point devices. While selecting the tools for such OS SW scanning, we should check their ability to synchronize with the CVE database and it's depth of analysis in the binary and dll level.

In today’s technology driven world new vulnerabilities and attacks are emerging faster than what manual human effort for protecting against them can ever match. Hence, it is very important for organisations to use AI-driven vulnerability scanning tools that can automate the process of identifying security weaknesses in software, networks, or systems rapidly. These tools use machine learning algorithms to analyze patterns and detect potential vulnerabilities, helping organizations enhance their cybersecurity measures. Some examples include Nessus, Nexpose, Qualys, OpenVAS, Tenable.io etc. Also, 90% of cyber attacks today can be prevented by deploying a solid DNS level threat prevention solution such as CIRA DNS Firewall.

In my experience, it is crucial that before you embark yourself on the journey of spending the IT budget on all the fancy tools that the industry has to offer, to perform a correct and honest assets inventory and set realistic objectives. Depending on the industry you are activating in, some vulnerabilities are more critical than other, with a simple risk assessment you can get the correct picture and look at the key findings. All these vulnerability management processes must be run continuously and improved with every cycle

Using vulnerability scanners increases system security. Choose a scanner that meets your needs, install it, and do regular scans. Verify the results, give priority to resolving serious problems, and make sure the scanner's database is current. Work together to plan regular scans and install patches to stay safe.

In the context of the question, "How can you use vulnerability scanners to improve your incident response process?", let me provide an example. The old Log4J vulnerability is perfect! External web server is vulnerable and compromised. During your IR, you can scan the other machines on your network for other instances of Log4J and "head the attackers off at the pass" as it were. That can be scanning while you work on containment and can even reveal another hidden compromise from another Log4J vulnerable system. It's another tool in your arsenal. Use it!

When you're messing around with Vulnerability Scanners, it's crucial to watch out for going overboard and jamming up the network. You could end up accidentally crashing entire servers, especially if you're going full force with brute force. So, play it smart and use those scanners wisely to avoid causing unintended chaos on the servers.

A rule of thumb is to have the architecture ready for self assessment, so whenever there's a need for an evaluation, you can measure risk right away. VAs should happen as often as possible, depending on the risk. Some may be daily, some may be weekly, but remember, any given day there's a new advisory. Attackers won't wait. Assess everything continuously. Not all Vulns are equal, but you need to know they exist. The program for prioritizing, evaluating, fixing, confirming needs to happen, but what you can't allow is to miss the information. Don't leave your users behind! They have your information and accesses. Attackers know it.

Após a longa analise e cadastramento de possíveis vulnerabilidades, é necessário identificar os falsos positivos, apesar de massante é uma das mais importantes a??es, isso deve-se ao ato de prioriza??o, uma vez que identificado n?o pode ser ignorado. Após um processo contínuo de analises e prioriza??o, o processo torna-se mais maduro o qual é possível o incremento de RPA e até mesmo I.A neste processo, pois os possiveis falsos postivos já foram mapeados e o processo de analise já é de conhecimento das equipes.

Focusing on software and application security, there are SAST, SCA, IAST, DAST, VAPT, and RASP technologies and tools. Some of these produce huge number of false positives. Result is time lost for analysis. Another challenge is remediation of real vulnerabilities. Sometimes people simply doesn't know how to fix issues. Now imagine a solution that can triage issues, flag false positives, and then give remediation advice for real vulnerabilities or even automatically fix the security vulnerabilities in your code without bothering your development teams. We in Glog.AI developed such solution based on machine learning and AI. Side efect is education as teams can learn from this solution to write more secure software code.

In ICS/OT environments, which are part of the critical infrastructure group of industries, it is practically impossible to use automated vulnerability scanners. These devices, e.g., PLCs, HMIs, and other SCADA components, are inherently built with fewer resources, such as low CPU power, memory, and storage, and they also don't support standard scanning protocols like ICMP or WMI. Most vulnerability scanning is either done manually or on carefully classified systems that can support this feature. Cybersecurity companies must now develop tools specifically for the ICS/OT environment to meet its ever-increasing cybersecurity needs.

The most successful vulnerability scanning program I took part in was in an organization that had a patching team as a component of their infrastructure team. Keeping up with vulnerabilities on endpoint and servers is one of the most challenging aspects of the program. I know not every company has the luxury, but I have seen many organizations that can hire the resources and don't. Vulnerability scanning is useless if no action is being taken on it.

-A scanner is worthless if it produces too much noise and unactionable intelligence -Confidence to make fixes without breaking things is just as important -Be sure to pick a scanner that is good at correlating, aggregating and visualizing threat levels from highest to lowest, along with actionable and confident remediation along with visualization and modeling of highest probable attack paths

Utilizing vulnerability scanning effectively requires certain important knowledge and tools. Keep abreast of the most recent vulnerabilities by visiting forums and warnings. Select reliable databases and scanners based on the requirements of your system. Sort scans according to importance and danger. Customize scans to the specific features of your machine. For accuracy, make sure to update the scanner's database on a regular basis. Consult online forums and vendor documentation for advice. To address vulnerabilities together, make sure the IT and security teams are communicating clearly.

Vulnerability scanning resources: Open-source Tools:Nmap, OpenVAS. Commercial Solutions: Nessus, Qualys. Online Platforms,Training Courses,Documentation,Community Forums,Vendor Support,Tool providers' support.

Considero que um ponto adicional poderia ser explorado para enriquecer o tema: scanners de vulnerabilidade podem ser integrados com outras ferramentas e sistemas de seguran?a, como firewalls, sistemas de preven??o de intrus?o e plataformas de gerenciamento de eventos e informa??es de seguran?a (SIEM). Essa integra??o pode melhorar a detec??o de amea?as e a resposta a incidentes, fornecendo uma vis?o mais holística da seguran?a da rede.

Organizations can enhance vulnerability scanning by integrating threat intelligence feeds, gaining insights into attack vectors, exploit techniques, and indicators of compromise. This helps prioritize vulnerabilities based on likelihood of exploitation and impact, optimizing resource allocation. However, vulnerability scanning alone is insufficient. Adopting a defense-in-depth strategy, combining vulnerability management with intrusion detection systems, firewalls, and security training, provides stronger overall defense. Proactive scanning, staying informed, leveraging threat intelligence, and a multi-layered approach improve vulnerability management and cybersecurity posture.

Tools are only as good as the person using them. It still takes a good security engineer who understands the target environment to interpret and successfully action on the results of a vulnerability scan.

A key prerequisite for effective vulnerability management is establishing a comprehensive understanding of your organization's IT infrastructure; asset inventory, network topology, incident response plan and security polices to name a few.

You can have the best of the best tools in place for scanning vulnerabilities, but without a profound proven follow-up process, tailored to your organisation’s needs and risk appetite, you will not succeed to properly control the management of vulnerabilities within your organisation.

A vulnerability scanner is a tool and in all IR situations tools and data are key. A badly configured Vulnerability scanner is useless even before a IR situation. Always look at what is needed and configured regularly as having bad data or incomplete data is bad. Having it configured and running well you will be in a good place before the incident and if one happens and it is based on a known vulnerability you may have the data to help you contain the current IR incident or at least know the next strike point.

Checking for holes is important until the boat starts sinking. If you find a hole you worry (A) Are there more holes? and (B) How much water got in? Both questions beg the larger question, Are we going down? Getting ahead of it by securing data to start with is the difference between a wooden & a steel hull. Wood costs more to maintain, requires rare skills, is less durable, particularly over time, & needs more attention. Steel requires a more sophisticated attack & is simpler (less expensive) to maintain but the up front investment is more than wood. You can load & transport assets in either but attacks against wood are easier (cheaper). Fundamentally the difference is the risk you can live with.