What is a vulnerability scan? How does it differ from a Contact us? What are the benefits of a vulnerability scan? How often should you conduct a vulnerability scan? This article answers all these questions!

What is a vulnerability scan?

A vulnerability scan is essentially an automated process to identify potential security risks associated with your external perimeter or internal network. The market offers various vulnerability scanners, both free and paid. However, the key is to either know how to use the vulnerability scanner properly or to ensure your security vendor uses a trusted scanning solution.

At Lucid Security, we provide a vulnerability assessment as a service. Typically, the aim of a vulnerability assessment is to pinpoint potential security risks. These include vulnerable or outdated software versions, potentially risky ports/services exposed to the Internet, and sensitive files, among others. A reputable security vendor always provides a custom report with the vulnerability scan. Too often, security vendors may only provide standard HTML, PDF, or CSV outputs from a vulnerability scanner. This practice is not ideal because one should always manually verify the outputs from a vulnerability scanner. Results can be false positives, merely informational findings with no real security impact, or the criticality may be inadequately categorized. For this reason, Lucid Security always reviews the results of a vulnerability scan and ensures the report clearly articulates the vulnerabilities and remediation measures, and excludes any false positives.

Lastly, a vulnerability assessment stops at the identification phase of a vulnerability. Whereas a penetration test continues to the actual exploitation of a vulnerability.

Why should you have a vulnerability scan?

The reasons for conducting a vulnerability assessment can vary among organizations. A significant driver for many companies is compliance or customer requirements. It is common for organizations to undergo vulnerability assessments for compliance purposes or because they are doing business with a customer who demands a vulnerability scan and its results. Another reason is simply best practice to identify any potential issues on their external perimeter or internal network. Both are valid reasons.

How often should you conduct a vulnerability scan?

Lucid Security generally recommends conducting quarterly vulnerability scans at a minimum. With the ever-changing security landscape, new security vulnerabilities often emerge from security researchers or hackers. Thus, software you installed on a webserver that was just updated might develop a new vulnerability the following month. A vulnerability scan helps you stay ahead of issues before they escalate. It is also common to perform vulnerability scans monthly or bi-annually.

Conclusion

Lucid Security advises companies to perform quarterly vulnerability assessment, especially those with a larger than average attack surface. A reputable security vendor should provide the results of a vulnerability scan. Lucid Security always delivers custom reports that highlight the most relevant information on how to remediate and fix the issues.

How Lucid Security Can Help

Lucid Security employs expert security engineers with decades of combined experience in system administration, network administration, and security engineering. Our team delivers quality reports to ensure your organization remains secure. Contact us today to learn more about our vulnerability scan services.

Asking “What can go wrong during a penetration test?” before initiating an assessment is both wise and prudent. This blog post outlines the risks associated with penetration testing and strategies to mitigate these risks.

Downtime or Disruptions

One of the top concerns client’s have about what can go wrong during a penetration test is downtime or disruptions, fearing significant revenue loss. However, a competent security vendor will carefully conduct tests to avoid such outcomes. They will avoid exploiting vulnerabilities that could trigger denial-of-service conditions. Lucid Security advises clients to highlight particularly sensitive systems during the pre-engagement kickoff call to prevent downtime.

Missing Findings

Missing findings represent another potential issue during penetration tests. A good security vendor aims to uncover every vulnerability. However, the pursuit of quick wins at the expense of thorough examination is a hallmark of inferior vendors. Lucid Security commits to comprehensive testing to identify all possible vulnerabilities, acknowledging the variability of results due to human factors. Annual penetration tests and rotating engineers ensure fresh perspectives and comprehensive coverage.

Generate Alerts

Penetration tests often generate numerous alerts, potentially overwhelming IT teams. While generating alerts is generally positive, it’s important for tests to be noticeable to IT and security operations centers (SOCs). Security engineers might use tools like Nessus, Nikto, and BurpSuite, generating alerts. The testing vendor should provide a list of their IP addresses to help adjust alert settings accordingly.

Account Lockouts

Account lockouts are a risk during penetration testing, especially during password attack simulations. Lucid Security employs methods to avoid account lockouts, but discussing unique account lockout policies with the engineers during the planning phase is crucial for making necessary adjustments.

Summary

Several factors can complicate a penetration test. Effective communication between the security vendor and the client organization beforehand can address concerns and preempt potential issues. Lucid Security prioritizes preventing problems during penetration tests by gathering extensive pre-test information.

How Lucid Security Can Help

Lucid Security is ready to assist with your next penetration test, addressing any concerns to ensure a smooth process. Contact us today for collaboration.