Vulnerability management is the process of identifying, assessing, and eliminating weaknesses in IT systems that could be exploited by cybercriminals.
It is a key component of infrastructure protection against attacks, compliant with ISO 27001 and NIS2 standards.
What Is Vulnerability Management?
Vulnerability management (VM) involves:
- detecting security flaws in systems, applications, and networks,
- evaluating their impact on the organisation,
- implementing remediation actions,
- and monitoring the effectiveness of patches.
The goal is to minimise attack risk through continuous security improvement.
How to Identify Vulnerabilities
- Vulnerability Scanning – use automated tools (e.g., Nessus, OpenVAS, Qualys) to detect known vulnerabilities (CVEs).
- Penetration Testing – periodically conduct tests to uncover unknown weaknesses and configuration errors.
- Code Reviews – analyse application source code (SAST, DAST) for security bugs.
- Threat Intelligence – monitor CVE databases, vendor advisories, and industry feeds for emerging vulnerabilities.
How to Assess Vulnerabilities
- CVSS Scoring – use the Common Vulnerability Scoring System to rate severity (e.g., Critical >9.0, High 7.0–8.9).
- Risk Prioritisation – consider exploitability, business impact, and asset criticality (e.g., via EPSS or internal risk matrix).
- Contextual Analysis – evaluate in the context of your environment (e.g., internet-facing vs internal systems).
Vulnerability Remediation Strategies
- Patching – apply security updates promptly for OS, apps, and firmware.
- Configuration Hardening – disable unnecessary services, close ports, enforce least privilege.
- Mitigation Workarounds – use virtual patching or WAF rules when immediate fixes aren’t possible.
- Decommissioning – remove or isolate unsupported legacy systems.
Prioritise critical vulnerabilities – aim for remediation within 14–30 days depending on risk.
Tools for Vulnerability Management
- Nessus / Tenable – comprehensive scanning and reporting.
- Qualys VMDR – cloud-based vulnerability detection and remediation.
- Rapid7 InsightVM – prioritisation with real-time risk scoring.
- OpenVAS – free, open-source alternative.
Integrate with SIEM (e.g., Splunk, ELK) for alerting and ITSM (ServiceNow) for workflow automation.
Continuous Monitoring and Improvement
Vulnerability management is an ongoing cycle:
- rescan systems and reassess regularly,
- automate scanning and reporting,
- integrate with SIEM, SOAR, ITSM (e.g., Splunk, ServiceNow, QRadar),
- track KPIs (e.g., mean time to remediate, open CVE count).
This is an element of security culture, not a one-time activity.
Secure Your Systems Now
Implementing an effective Vulnerability Management Programme protects your organisation from the majority of cyber attacks.
Regular scanning, updates, and risk analysis maintain infrastructure resilience at both strategic and operational levels.
Get in Touch
I offer support in creating and implementing comprehensive vulnerability management processes – from audits to report automation and SIEM/SOAR integration.
I also help build remediation plans compliant with NIS2 and ISO 27001 requirements.
Email: biuro@wichran.pl
Phone: +48 515 601 621
Author: Piotr Wichrań – Court-appointed IT forensic expert, IT/OT cybersecurity specialist, licensed private investigator
@Informatyka.Sledcza