How many times a week do you wonder if your customers’ information is available to hackers? Or if you’re doing everything you can to protect it? Maybe it’s a daily worry for you, but it doesn’t have to be with vulnerability management by ImageQuest.
You are ultimately accountable for operations security and cybersecurity. What are you doing to make sure you can sleep well at night? And keep your organization’s name in the clear?
How will you know when your bank, financial institution, or healthcare facility’s private data has been compromised? Will damage already be done before you see the first sign?
That’s how it works: by the time humans can detect a data breach, it’s often too late. That’s why your organization needs constant vulnerability scans to find weaknesses, triage what must be fixed, flag those susceptibilities that can wait, and manage critical alerts.
The very best vulnerability management process is a strategized combination of the right frequency, consistency, artifacts, patches, and documentation.
What’s your vulnerability management plan? If you don’t have one, today is the day to speak to ImageQuest about establishing one-before it’s too late.
The first step in the vulnerability management process is a complete internal and external scan and assessment of your network and systems for vulnerabilities. Your software will be checked using a database of software-specific known vulnerabilities, or we’ll assess communications between systems and your network.
A report will be provided that includes all detected vulnerabilities. Each one will be ranked so you know just how critical it is. This information can be used to prioritize the vulnerabilities that will be patched, within your budget-and then work the rest into a longer-term budget for improving overall security.
A few examples of security gaps are misconfigured devices, missing multi-factor authentication, and software that’s not patched or updated. These scans are most effective when conducted on a regular basis, as hackers’ attempts are always evolving.
On a most basic level, that’s what ImageQuest provides-but there’s more. We’ll also help you carry out your part, which includes:
Vulnerability management is only as good as its most outdated, weakest system link. Even if one part of your technology is a single machine, seldom used, it must be reported and regularly scanned. This goes for software, too. All employees should have the latest, updated versions of all software. Not sure how to manage that? A vulnerability management program, of course. It will oversee all software in your organization.
Your entire business environment must be scanned for vulnerabilities, and there are a few people who cannot be excluded from the process. At a minimum, one C-level executive must participate, and we can’t forget the IT department.
We also recommend that anyone who will be called upon in the event of an audit be involved. Remember, the examiner will ask about vulnerability management-and someone who understands the process will be expected to answer those questions.
Once patches are in place and all security weaknesses have been addressed, it’s important to understand that you’ve only responded to current threats. New ones are in development or are ready for attack. That’s why continual monitoring of vulnerabilities is nonnegotiable for an institution like yours.
There’s simply too much at stake: Your data, your customers’ personal information, your finances, and your reputation.
In our experience, nearly every business has some type of technological vulnerability. But even the smallest vulnerability compounds in severity when you store sensitive information like social security numbers, passwords, credit card numbers, birth dates, driver’s license information, account numbers, insurance information, and more.
Throw examiners’ questions, audits, and compliance regulations into the mix, and you simply cannot get by without a vulnerability management program that includes regular vulnerability scans.
It doesn’t matter how vigilant you are. Or how often you check your systems. Many vulnerabilities will go unnoticed. Until there’s a breach.
Let’s talk about how ImageQuest can help.
Cyber threats will always exist. When you begin to accept that fact, you begin to see the importance of vulnerability management. For every threat that’s handled, another is in development, just waiting to sneak in, undetected.
Since that’s the case, the best line of defense is just that-defense. We must constantly monitor threats and patch or fix vulnerabilities where hackers can enter. Being reactive isn’t enough. You must be proactive to stay ahead of the criminals (and to stay in the good graces of regulatory agencies).
For many of the industries we serve, a vulnerability management plan is a requirement. For others, it’s recommended. Which one are you?
Let’s discuss your systems, your susceptibilities, and what can be done to keep your customers’ information secure.