May 15, 2018
Homefield IT
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Any IT expert can tell you just how important it is to conduct routine vulnerability scans. Unfortunately, many businesses are severely lacking when it comes to this crucial component of managing overall IT security. But the fact is, less than 40% of organizations conduct full-network active vulnerability scans more than once per quarter. Understanding how to optimize the effort your business puts into vulnerability scanning is the key to keeping each and every scan as effective as possible. Here are just a few quick tips to help your business properly manage its vulnerability scanning management and protocol.
Choose authenticated scans.
First, one very common issue business owners have with some vulnerability scan results is false positives. Whether you’ve invested in a business computer support service or are handling IT operations yourself, running authenticated scans whenever possible can help to reduce this risk. In many cases, running an authenticated scan can also provide a CPE (Common Platform Enumeration) fingerprint: a visual and machine interpret-able representation of what exactly is running on any given IT asset. Overall, most experts agree that authenticated scans produce a higher volume of vulnerability results.
Avoid the PDF dump.
Many computer consultants say that the least effective way to manage results of vulnerability scans is when they’re all listed in a huge PDF file that’s virtually incomprehensible, or at the very least, gives you a headache to try to comprehend. When conducting scans, make sure to manage the results in a comprehensible and easily digestible way. It’s also important to make sure all vulnerability scan results are communicated in an easily actionable way.
“The status quo almost seems to assume that IT operations exist only to deploy patches and implement controls, instead of completing the projects that the business actually needs,” says IT expert Gene Kim.
On average, the cost of a data breach reached $3.5 million since 2014, an increase of 15%. Taking the time to conduct all vulnerability scans properly is the key to maintaining an IT environment conducive to safety and productivity. For more information about business computer support services or other types of managed services, contact Manhattan Tech Support.
