Vulnerability Management is the act of distinguishing and addressing the weaknesses in an organization’s frameworks.
The cycle is a fundamental part of information security and is discussed in ISO 27001 Certification, the worldwide standard that depicts best practices for carrying out an ISMS (information security management system}.
In this blog, we make sense of what are vulnerability management, how it addressed in ISO 27001, and the way forward to deal with the weaknesses in the system.
5 steps towards addressing Vulnerability Management
Vulnerability Management comprise five key stages:
1. Identify Assets where there is a possibility of Vulnerability.
An asset is anything that has a value to the organization and which, therefore requires protection. Generally, Hardware & software comes to our mind, but Asset is not only Hardware and software. The company’s ability to respond to changes and the ability to make decisions, and implement them quickly and effectively relates to its structure and its people. It’s neither hardware or software but it has a great value, and it should be considered an asset.
2. Risk evaluation
This is the most common way of recognizing the vulnerabilities in those identified assets. The common method applied is the probing of vulnerabilities, however, in some cases, a deep-diving is required which is generally achieved through a penetration test.
3. Document your findings
Your report needs to focus on the most considerable risk and suggest remediation methodologies.
You need to be all around as complete as conceivable while depicting remediation methodologies. Preferably, you will give bit-by-bit directions.
4. Execute remediation techniques
With the report total, you can move to carry out the remediation methodologies that you identified in the past segment.
5. Check the outcome of your systems
Doing so empowers you to affirm whether vulnerabilities have been properly addressed. It likewise guarantees straightforwardness and responsibility across the organization.
To be noted here that the Vulnerability management process is recurring. New vulnerabilities keep on emerging so a continuous monitoring activity to check the risks needs to be developed, with the application of the above 5 stages.
ISO 27001 Certification's way to deal with vulnerability management executives in the Maldives
The vulnerability management approach, mentioned above shares a lot with ISO 27001’s general risk management structure.
Anybody acquainted with the Standard in the Maldives will realize that it is revolved around a risk evaluation intended to safeguard the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive data.
One of the component of risk is vulnerability so the concept of vulnerability fits with the ISO 27001 approach to risk management.
Without a doubt, ISO 27001 defines ‘risk’ as the combination of an asset, threat and vulnerability. In particular, an information security threat exists when you have something at risk (an asset), anybody who can manipulate it (a risk), and a way that can occur (a vulnerability).
The ISO 27001 approach for managing vulnerabilities
Basically, ISO 27001 control A.12.6.1 locks onto three targets:
Timely identification of vulnerabilities. The sooner you discover a vulnerability, the more time you will have to correct it, or at least to warn about the situation, decreasing the opportunity window a potential attacker may have.
Assessment of organization’s exposure to a vulnerability. Not all organizations are affected the same way by a certain vulnerability or set of vulnerabilities. You have to do a risk assessment to identify and prioritize those vulnerabilities that are more critical to your assets and business.
Proper measures considering the associated risks. Once you have identified the most critical vulnerabilities, you need to think about the actions and allocation of the resources you have to deal with them – that’s your risk treatment plan. The most prudent form is by considering the risk level associated with them.
