Actionable vulnerability assessment: The ins and outs

In the world of vulnerability assessment, there is a lot of data to go around after every scan. Every data is potentially a goldmine of information that can transform an organization’s business operations. Knowing exactly what set of data to comb through and what to look for is essential to gain actionable insights. Actionable vulnerability assessment is the difference between an effective vulnerability assessment and a botched one.

According to our group of experts at WebSecure, a vulnerability assessment company, actionable vulnerability assessment is key to a worthwhile vulnerability scan. More often than not, what companies do with the data is more important than the data itself. Any vulnerability assessment scanner can detect multiple vulnerabilities in a given network. What sets apart the best from the rest is the availability of actionable intelligence.

What is actionable intelligence?

Actionable intelligence in vulnerability assessment refers to any information gleaned from raw data after a scan which can help a business take definite actions to plug any gaps in their system. It is information that allows security measures to be implemented effectively to thwart the efforts of unethical actors.

How exactly is it helpful?

Experts at WebSecure revealed that out of a thousand reports generated after a vulnerability assessment scan, only a handful of actionable intelligence can be found. The rarity of the numbers should not be discounted. Rather, such reports should take precedence over all others. This is because they contain solid information about the system’s vulnerabilities, which when acted upon eliminates risky loopholes. This prevents unwanted breaches in the network and keeps it watertight.

Knowing what to prioritize is another important aspect when working in vulnerability assessment. The data collected from a scan contains a great deal of information that can quickly overwhelm the analyzer. Therefore, it is necessary to weed out the irrelevant data from the relevant so that actionable intelligence becomes available ASAP.

For a vulnerability assessment company like WebSecure, actionable vulnerability assessment plays a crucial role. The ability to go through generated data and come up with actionable data points is key to an effective vulnerability assessment.

Also Read:-Vulnerability Assessment: Formulating an effective strategy for vulnerability management