Through the effective implementation of vulnerability management processes, businesses can address security issues proactively while staying compliant with industry and government standards. Some common vulnerability management best practices include conducting regular IT scans, patching systems on time and educating employees on security protocols.

You might agree that vulnerability management is an important yet time-consuming job that IT technicians do not have enough time for. Kaseya Network Operations Center (NOC) services can be helpful in this regard. By outsourcing all your vulnerability management tasks to our NOC services, you can streamline and simplify your IT operations dramatically while reducing the workload on your technicians. But before we get into this, let’s first review vulnerability management best practices, benefits, challenges and more. Then, we’ll take a look at how you can outsource your vulnerability management tasks to our NOC services.

What is vulnerability management?

The role of vulnerability management is to actively look for, identify and patch all vulnerabilities in an organization’s IT environment before a threat actor exploits them. These vulnerabilities can be found in hardware devices, endpoints, software and even company networks — basically all components of an IT infrastructure.

At any given point, there are multiple vulnerabilities plaguing a company’s IT environment. Part of the vulnerability management process is not only identifying vulnerabilities but also prioritizing and mitigating them based on their severity. While vulnerability assessment is the process of identifying and assessing potential weaknesses in a network, vulnerability management is the process of mitigating or eliminating those weaknesses.

Some of the common vulnerabilities are weak passwords, outdated software, unpatched systems and misconfigured networks. An integral part of vulnerability management is patch management. Patch management involves applying updates or patches to fix known software vulnerabilities. System configuration management is another crucial aspect of vulnerability management that ensures devices and software continue functioning properly and do not become backdoors for costly breaches.

What is a vulnerability in cybersecurity?

Vulnerabilities, or weaknesses in hardware devices or software code, serve as opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit and gain access to organizations. These weaknesses may result from poor design, coding errors or configuration issues. Cyberattackers take advantage of these vulnerabilities to infiltrate sensitive company data, execute malicious code on systems, initiate Denial of Service (DoS) attacks or cause other forms of cyber harm.

Companies with lax security practices often learn about vulnerabilities in their IT infrastructure only after they are exploited, which can lead to serious financial losses, reputational damage and regulatory fines. Zero-day vulnerabilities are one of the most common causes of successful cyberattacks, allowing hackers to have a field day should they find one.

A zero-day vulnerability is a flaw in a network or software that hasn’t been patched or for which a patch isn’t available. The software or device vendor may or may not be aware of this flaw. If a hacker identifies it before a good samaritan does, the software vendor has zero days to fix it, hence the term zero-day vulnerability.

To mitigate zero-day and other risks, companies should build a robust vulnerability management plan that includes regular audits and reviews of their systems. As of the first week of 2024, internet users worldwide discovered 612 new common IT security vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs). The highest reported annual figure was recorded in 2023 — over 29,000.

Users often incorrectly use vulnerability interchangeably with threat and risk — other terminologies from the security field. However, there are differences between them:

• Vulnerability: A vulnerability is a weakness in an endpoint or a system that can be exploited.
• Threat: Threats are potential attacks that could exploit a vulnerability. For example, an attacker can exploit a vulnerability in a web application to gain access to sensitive data, cause damage and business disruption, or launch a ransomware attack.
• Risk: Risks are the potential consequences of an attack that exploits a vulnerability. For example, if an attacker gains access to sensitive data through a web application vulnerability, the risk is that this data can be leaked publicly or used to commit fraud.

What are some examples of common vulnerabilities?

Vulnerabilities can arise for several reasons and seriously threaten an organization’s security. Some of the most common vulnerabilities include:

• Unpatched software: This is the most common vulnerability and is often the result of organizations not keeping their software up to date. Therefore, companies must automate their patch management process to ensure timely patching.
• Poorly configured systems: Another common vulnerability is poorly configured systems. Poor software or hardware installation procedures are the leading cause of configuration problems, as is changing the settings of these systems without following proper care and precautions. Configuration issues are common in companies adopting a digital transformation or significantly upgrading their IT infrastructures. Whenever possible, it’s best to implement these changes under the guidance of a security expert.
• Weak credentials: Even your toddler can crack “Password123,” so imagine how easy it will be for cybercriminals to do so.
• Insufficient security controls: Another vulnerability often seen in today’s IT landscape is inadequate security controls. Organizations become vulnerable when they do not implement adequate security measures or fail to keep up with changing threats.

What is the difference between vulnerability management and vulnerability assessment?

A vulnerability assessment is the process of identifying, quantifying and prioritizing the vulnerabilities in a system or application. It involves scanning the system or application, analyzing the results of the scan and recommending appropriate actions. This step is crucial to identify weaknesses in a system that attackers can exploit. It also provides data that can be used to prioritize remediation efforts and to develop strategies for mitigating the risks associated with the vulnerabilities.

Vulnerability management then helps to ensure that any identified vulnerabilities are patched in a timely manner and that appropriate security controls are put in place to reduce the risk of a successful attack. Doing so protects an organization’s data and systems from malicious actors while helping them stay compliant with applicable laws and regulations. It’s good practice for organizations to regularly review their vulnerability management process and update their security controls accordingly.

Why is vulnerability management important?

In today’s increasingly distributed IT environments, there is a surge in the number and types of endpoints connected to a network at any given time. Add the growing popularity of remote work and Internet of Things (IoT) devices to the mix, and IT professionals now have a larger attack surface to manage. A more complex IT environment means more potential entry points for malicious actors, who are devising more damaging, malicious, and hard-to-detect cyberthreats by the day.

If businesses do not exercise enough care, they can fall prey to these threats easily. Vulnerability management acts as a proactive defensive mechanism protecting organizations from the damage caused by cyberattacks. This entails regular scanning and assessment of systems and networks, coupled with the implementation of controls and mitigation measures, all aimed at minimizing the risk of vulnerabilities being exploited. By taking these steps, businesses can fortify themselves against costly downtime, data loss and theft, ultimately ensuring the seamless operation of their business.

If vulnerability management is becoming an added burden for you and your technicians, explore our case study detailing how Crystal Mountain, a family resort nestled in northwest Michigan, effectively utilized Kaseya NOC Services to not only unlock operational efficiency but also optimize workloads cost-effectively.

What is a vulnerability management system?

A vulnerability management system consists of processes and tools used to manage vulnerabilities and minimize the risk of cyberattacks, such as ransomware, data breaches and phishing attacks. It is a five-step process that we have detailed in the next section. By following these steps, businesses can better protect their data and systems from malicious actors.

What are the steps in the vulnerability management lifecycle?

The lifecycle process can vary from company to company, based on individual needs and requirements. However, in most cases, it broadly adheres to this five-step model. This structure guarantees that your vulnerability management lifecycle delivers results by uncovering and remediating even the most obscure security flaws.

1. Identify: The identification phase involves scanning systems and networks to identify potential vulnerabilities. This is the first phase of the cycle, during which organizations discover and document vulnerabilities in their systems. You can do this through manual inspection or automated scanning using a network-based or agent-based vulnerability scanner tool.
2. Evaluate/Classify: Once vulnerabilities are identified, they need to be assessed to determine the severity and risk associated with them. This information is then used to prioritize which vulnerabilities should be addressed first.
3. Remediate: Once prioritized, it’s time to start remediating the vulnerabilities. This usually involves patching software or upgrading systems. It could also include implementing workarounds or mitigations. It’s important to test the fixes in a controlled environment before rolling them out widely. Sometimes, applying patches can create functional issues rendering your organization’s systems inoperable and leading to downtime. It can also give cybercriminals the opportunity to make their move.
4. Verify: It is crucial to verify that the remediation and mitigation steps work and that the changes do not impact the device performance in any way so as not to cause downtime. Additionally, it’s a good time to identify best practices and improvements to be made to the process in the future.
5. Report: It isn’t enough to provide top-class IT service in today’s increasingly competitive business environment. You must also demonstrate the value of your work through consistent reporting. The vulnerability assessment and management report should detail the number of vulnerabilities identified and remediated, the process of conducting the assessment and remediation, its scope and the improvements carried out. The report should provide intelligence that will help improve the process.

What are the main elements of a vulnerability management process?

The scope of vulnerability management covers all assets in an organization’s environment connected to a network and which are vulnerable to attacks. This includes workstations, servers, routers, switches, firewalls and other devices that can act as a backdoor for cybercriminals. Vulnerability management also covers software, such as operating systems, applications and databases. The following activities fall under vulnerability management:

• IT discovery and inventory: It involves identifying and cataloging all the hardware and software assets in an organization to understand what needs to be protected and, therefore, make it easier to identify potential vulnerabilities.
• Vulnerability scanning: Vulnerability scanning is the process of identifying security weaknesses in systems and applications.
• Network monitoring: Network monitoring involves continuously monitoring network traffic for unusual or suspicious activity.
• Patch management: Patch management involves keeping software up to date with the latest security fixes.
• Endpoint management: Endpoint management refers to the security of devices that connect to a network, such as laptops, smartphones and tablets.
• Configuration management: Configuration management includes maintaining an up-to-date inventory of all software and hardware assets and ensuring they are properly configured.
• Security awareness training: Security awareness training helps employees understand how to identify and protect against potential threats.
• Identity and access management: Identity and access management determines who has access to which resources within an organization.

What are the challenges of vulnerability management?

Managing vulnerabilities is a complex process that requires asset inventory, threat intelligence, patch management and more., making it a challenging task even for security professionals with years of experience.

One of the biggest challenges in vulnerability management is staying abreast of the growing number of attack vectors. An attack vector refers to any method or pathway a hacker may use to penetrate, infiltrate or compromise the IT infrastructure of the target company. Attack vectors are constantly evolving, making it hard for security professionals to stay ahead of the game. An IT professional must be able to predict cybercriminals’ next move and understand how they might exploit new and old vulnerabilities.

Another challenge is dealing with the geographical dispersal of the workforce. With more people working remotely, managing and patching vulnerabilities centrally and on time gets increasingly harder. This can open organizations up to attacks if vulnerabilities remain unpatched for a long time.

Furthermore, new technologies introduce new vulnerabilities that must be managed as they emerge. As soon as one vulnerability is patched, another appears. It’s a never-ending game of cat-and-mouse that can be frustrating and time-consuming. Automating vulnerability management using advanced tools can help technicians identify and patch vulnerabilities in real time and beat cybercriminals at their own game.

What are the benefits of vulnerability management?

Vulnerability management helps organizations reduce the risk of exploitation and minimize the impact of a cyberattack. There are many benefits to vulnerability management, including the following:

• Reduced risk of exploitation: Organizations can reduce their exposure to potential attacks by identifying and addressing vulnerabilities regularly and on time.
• Minimized impact of attacks: Organizations can limit the damage caused by successful attacks by patching or mitigating vulnerabilities on time.
• Improved security posture: By proactively managing vulnerabilities, organizations can enhance their security posture and ward off future threats.
• Compliance maintenance: Many compliance frameworks require organizations to implement vulnerability management processes. By undertaking it, companies can earn brownie points from compliance auditors and their clients while staying secure.

The vulnerability management process can be performed manually or automatically. Automation is becoming more popular among companies due to its speed and ability to identify and fix vulnerabilities in real time.

How to get started with vulnerability management

A vulnerability management program should be tailored to a company’s specific needs. It should be regularly monitored and updated and companies should carry out regular audits to ensure that their vulnerability management program is effective. However, keeping the following three best practices in mind will help you get in the mindset needed to establish an effective vulnerability management program and take a more targeted approach.

• Unified management: A platform that provides IT teams with a comprehensive view of their overall security posture, making it easier to identify and respond to threats in a timely manner. A unified RMM solution like Kaseya VSA allows IT professionals to streamline workflows and efficiently navigate through different stages of vulnerability management. For example, installing, deploying, updating, and patching software often require different workstreams, which tremendously increases the load on busy IT professionals. By outsourcing vulnerability tasks like patching and monitoring to Kaseya NOC services, you can focus your energy on strategic tasks that require your expertise, while ensuring better security for your clients and end users.
• Comprehensive visibility: Jumping between various solutions to get complete visibility into the IT environment is not only far from ideal but can be detrimental to the security of an organization. It can severely slow down threat detection and mitigation processes, making it more difficult for IT professionals to manage vulnerabilities effectively. The solution to this problem is investing in an integrated solution that lets you manage everything from a single pane of glass, making it easy to aggregate the visibility of the vulnerability landscape relevant to the specific environment under management.
• Scalable automation: By automating repetitive tasks, organizations can simplify the vulnerability management process, reduce manual errors and free up resources to focus on more strategic tasks. Being able to scale the automation to cover more endpoints, devices, and networks under the vulnerability management program enables organizations to systematically and rapidly address security vulnerabilities across a larger and more diverse attack surface. This scalability empowers security teams to manage a growing number of assets without a proportional increase in manual effort. Additionally, automation can help reduce the cost of security operations.

For more information on how to get started with vulnerability management, check out our eBook — Vulnerability Mitigation: Securing Your Infrastructure.

How can Kaseya help you with vulnerability management?

You can now put your vulnerability management concerns to rest with the help of Kaseya’s NOC services. By outsourcing essential vulnerability management tasks such as patching and monitoring to our NOC center, you can enjoy timely remediation of issues, eliminate network downtime and nip cyberattacks in the bud.

Our dedicated team of experts will monitor your IT environment 24/7, identifying and resolving issues before they cause major disruptions. By leveraging our NOC services, you can enjoy a robust vulnerability management plan that will protect your data and assets from malicious actors, ensure compliance with the latest security standards and enhance your IT performance.

Learn more about Kaseya NOC Services and how it can help you establish a vulnerability management program.

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Software vulnerabilities arise due to many reasons like security misconfiguration, programming errors, insufficient logging and monitoring, or simply human error. Vendors regularly release patches to address these vulnerabilities in an effort to thwart potential cyberattacks. The presence of zero-day vulnerabilities is one of the most common causes of successful cyberattacks and finding one allows hackers to have a field day.

What Is a Zero-Day Vulnerability?

A zero-day vulnerability is a flaw in a network or software that hasn’t been patched or for which a patch isn’t available. The software or device vendor may or may not be aware of this flaw. After that flaw is out there in the open, it poses a greater risk for cyberattacks to organizations using the software or device. Since Google’s Project Zero was founded in July 2014, it has compiled data on “in the wild” zero-day exploits, with 2021 being the biggest year on record. Google collects data for publicly known cases of zero-day exploits as part of Project Zero.

Why Is It Called Zero-Day?

Software vulnerabilities pose serious cybersecurity risks. That’s why it’s important to identify and fix them as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, sometimes it can take days, or even months, for software developers or users to detect a vulnerability. In contrast, if a hacker identifies it before a good Samaritan does, the software vendor has zero days to fix it. Hence the term zero-day vulnerability. Zero-day can also be spelled 0-day.

Fun Fact: The term “zero-day” has a fascinating origin story that has to do with digital content piracy. Previously, if hackers could rip off and distribute a movie or music album before or on the same day it went on sale legally, it was called a “zero-day.”

How Are Zero-Day Vulnerabilities Discovered?

Every software company invests a considerable amount of time and resources into detecting and fixing vulnerabilities in their products. While it may seem simple, identifying and patching vulnerabilities is no easy task. Coding is a complex project that requires a team of skilled programmers with the right tools and resources for it to be done efficiently.

In order to detect security vulnerabilities in software and networks, companies use a tool called a software vulnerability scanner. However, vulnerability scanners are capable of more than just scanning software for new flaws. Those tools also take an inventory of all IT assets, such as servers, desktops, virtual machines, operating systems, applications and active ports, on each machine to scan them for security flaws. As soon as a vulnerability is identified, companies immediately release a patch to fix it.

Software vulnerabilities can sometimes be identified by software users or cybersecurity experts and communicated to the software company concerned. Google, for instance, will reward and recognize individuals who inform them of security flaws. These rewards are often called “bug bounties” and can run into tens of thousands of dollars.

Even if a piece of software has many flaws, it might be hard to spot them all. The real concern for companies when it comes to zero-day vulnerabilities is who spots them and what the finder does with that information. If a hacker strikes first, then it can spell disaster for companies using that software. 

How Are Zero-Day Vulnerabilities Exploited?

Zero-day vulnerabilities open companies up to a variety of security issues. An attacker who discovers this vulnerability can exploit it via any number of attack vectors, adversely impacting programs, data, computers or a network. Vulnerabilities are exploited to penetrate a target’s systems and steal data, information or money. Sometimes hackers use a zero-day vulnerability to install malicious software, like ransomware, that enables them to manipulate IT infrastructure remotely to spy on an organization’s activities or to disrupt operations.

A corollary of zero-day vulnerabilities is the zero-day exploit. A zero-day exploit is coding in a piece of software, like a series of commands, that can be used to leverage a zero-day vulnerability. When a hacker discovers a zero-day exploit, they can create an exploit package to be used immediately or in the future, or even choose to sell information about the vulnerability and exploit to the highest bidder on the dark web.

It is not uncommon for security researchers to use exploits to demonstrate the risk associated with a vulnerability and how it can be taken advantage of by cybercriminals for their schemes. A cybersecurity researcher uses exploits to strengthen security measures and typically informs the software maker of the flaw, enabling them to fix it before bad actors can exploit it.

An exploit may not be discovered by software vendors for months or even years if a cybercriminal discovers it first. Vulnerabilities are considered zero-day exploits until the software provider learns about them and begins working on a fix.

How Does a Zero-Day Exploit Differ From a Typical Exploit?

Like any exploit, a zero-day exploit can be used to damage an organization’s security, infiltrate their IT environment, undermine the integrity of web pages or disrupt the availability of software through distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. A zero-day exploit is a complete shock and isespecially dangerous because the vendor is not aware of it. That means they cannot warn users of the potential vulnerability as they create a patch that addresses the issue, as is the normal course of action with exploits.

An exploit kit is a plug-and-play cybercrime resource that is designed to take advantage of vulnerabilities in widely used software such as Adobe Flash, Java and Microsoft Silverlight. Various tools are included in these kits, such as plug-ins and a management console, that make it easier to launch a cyberattack or spread malware.

A typical exploit is one that has been discovered and publicized, either by the vendor or other industry experts. In a standard exploit scenario, the software vendor is developing or has released a patch to render it ineffective. Therefore, applying security patches regularly and promptly is critical to preventing cybersecurity breaches. There are times when known vulnerabilities are exploited as a result of developers delaying patching them.

On the other hand, a zero-day exploit kit includes tools and features designed to target an unknown vulnerability. Hackers can either buy or create exploit kits and store them on compromised websites or advertisements that, when clicked, will install malware on the victim’s computer.

Unsuspecting victims can suffer attacks from exploit kits through phishing scams by visiting malicious websites or downloading suspicious files that haven’t been scanned for viruses. Exploit kit manufacturers can base their entire businesses on selling those kits as part of the cybercrime-as-a-service economy and earn good money for their work.

What Is the Most Famous Zero-Day Exploit?

At the top of the charts is EternalBlue, the most damaging exploit in history. Originally developed by NASA as a cyberattack tool, it was stolen and leaked by the Shadow Brokers hacking group in March 2017. Officially known as MS17-010, the EternalBlue targets any system using the SMBv1 (Server Message Block version 1) file-sharing protocol. It is responsible for some of the most popular cyberattacks, including WannaCry and NotPetya.

Stuxnet is another well-known cybersecurity horror story that made the front page. Discovered in 2010, this strain of malware caused significant damage to major targets, including Iran’s nuclear facilities, and gained infamy for its hardware crippling capabilities. The Stuxnet worm was spread through Microsoft Windows computers and could be carried on USB drives as well.

What Is Meant by a Zero-Day Attack? 

Zero-day vulnerabilities can come in a variety of formats including missing data encryption, broken algorithms, URL redirects, password security flaws and simple bugs. A zero-day attack occurs when a hacker identifies any of these vulnerabilities, writes an exploit code and successfully deploys the code, also known as malware, to gain unauthorized access to a computer system or network. The infection can take the form of a virus, Trojan horse, worm, spyware, adware, rootkit or other malware like ransomware.

In the cybersecurity community, a zero-day attack is often a hot topic of debate between two schools of thought. According to one group, a zero-day attack is one that exploits a vulnerability that hasn’t yet been discovered, while the other group refers to it as an attack that exploits a vulnerability the day it becomes public but before a patch is released.

In any case, a zero-day attack is a cyberattack that has the capability of crippling the network of an organization and causing major financial and reputational damage. Hence, it’s crucial for companies to take into account zero-day attacks when designing their security infrastructure and writing security policies.

Why Are Zero-Day Attacks So Dangerous?

As cyberattacks make media headlines, businesses are becoming more and more concerned about more than just the damage to their company and their reputation. Companies also have to be concerned about the potential damage that cybercriminals can do to their partners and clients. By using the initially breached organization’s IT infrastructure or data, cybercriminals can try to find a back door into the IT environment of one of the victim’s clients or partners, known as a third-party or supply chain attack. This is a growing tactic, and criminals are targeting businesses of all sizes and industries, including small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that tend to have a basic cybersecurity system that is easier to break through in order to land the big fish.

Threat actors behind advanced persistent threats (APT), often nation-state or nation-state aligned hackers, are quick to use zero-day attacks to carry out stealthy operations that can go undetected for a prolonged period, allowing them to stealthily spy, spread malware or steal information. As nation-state cybercrime grows more common, every business is at risk from APT threat actors who are more than happy to exploit supply chain vulnerabilities, like a zero-day flaw or unpatched software, to do the dirty work that enables them to strike at government and infrastructure targets.

Cyberattacks exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because the odds are set in favor of the very people from whom protection is needed. Any attack that exploits a zero-day vulnerability can be costly for a business, resulting in consequences like revenue loss, ransomware recovery, lost productivity, data theft, system downtime, reputation damage and regulatory actions.

Is There Any Defense Against Zero-Day Attacks? 

It can be difficult to identify zero-day attacks, especially if they are executed stealthily. Unless the attackers intend to attract public attention, it is often too late for the victims to mitigate it by the time a zero-day attack is detected. Even the best antivirus and antimalware tools sometimes fail to detect a zero-day attack because they don’t have the signature to identify the malware in use. However, AI-powered tools are much more likely to spot zero-day threats. By collecting their own threat intelligence, AI solutions adjust protection more quickly because they don’t rely on threat reports to detect the vulnerabilities that create opportunities for zero-day attacks.

When it comes to protecting against zero-day attacks, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Patching regularly, running routine security checks and training employees to be vigilant against common attack vectors are some of the factors that can go a long way towards preventing zero-day attacks. Choosing AI-enabled security solutions can also provide crucial protection against zero-day attacks through early detection and enhanced cyber resilience. Research by IBM shows that automated security catches an estimated 40% more threats than conventional security, including zero-day exploits. 

Even if your security tools do not detect any suspicious activity, there are some tell-tale signs that can indicate a potential zero-day attack such as frequent system crashes, slow hardware and software performance, unauthorized changes in system settings, lost storage space and obvious credential misuse.

Here are a few tips to keep your IT environment safe against zero-day cyberattacks.

Implement Network Access Point and Endpoint Control: Use a network access tool to ensure that only authorized machines can access the company’s network in concert with a secure identity and access management solution that keeps out unauthorized users. Additionally, segment the network in such a way that the infected part can be contained and isolated from the rest in case of a breach. Single sign-on for user accounts provides IT teams with the ability to quickly quarantine and remove permissions from a user account that may be compromised. it also makes it easy to ensure that employees can only access the systems and data they need to perform their job.

Use an Advanced or Automated Email Security Solution: Despite the enormous amount of information on phishing emails, social engineering, spoofing and the sophistication of today’s phishing messages make detecting them a serious challenge. That’s a huge problem because 90% of incidents that end in a data breach start with a phishing email. With a cutting-edge email security solution, your business will be in a better position to spot and stop dangerous messages inside and outside your network as well as scan them for viruses. Using an email security solution with strong antiphishing capability helps ensure that employees have minimal exposure to threats like a virus-infected email and also reduces the risk of anyone falling for a phishing scam.
Phishing is costing organizations $14.8 million in 2021, with lost productivity a significant component of the annual cost. 

Regularly Back Up Your Data: It is essential for every business to build cyber resilience by putting business recovery and data backup procedures in place as a mitigation against the damage caused by cybercrime. Booming dark web data markets ensure high profitability for cybercriminals who traffic in it, especially Personally Identifiable Information (PII). It is even worse when cybercriminals encrypt a company’s data while demanding a ransom that can run into millions. Quality backup solutions are crucial to enabling companies to get back to business quickly as they begin recovery from a cyberattack. According to an ITIC report, server downtime can cost up to $1,670 per server, per minute, for an hourly outage cost of $100,000.

Fight Back With Modern Zero-Trust Security Tools: Using new generation security tools that embrace zero-trust security principles makes a tremendous impact on a company’s cyber resilience, including its ability to resist zero-day attacks. At the core of zero-trust security is the adoption of a secure identity and access management solution companywide that includes multifactor authentication (MFA). By requiring authentication for every user on every login, IAM solutions create important barriers to intrusion through user accounts. MFA alone can prevent 99% of password-based cyberattacks. Using other access control tools, like next-generation or cloud-hosted firewall (NGFW), can make that advantage even bigger. By configuring it to allow only necessary transactions by authenticated users, you can ensure maximum protection. 

Choose a Good Host Intrusion Protection System (HIPS): Monitoring software like HIPS helps detect suspicious activities on host endpoints. Since it analyzes the behavior of code, the tool is better at detecting new malware that might escape traditional antivirus solutions. If an attacker is attempting to work undetected in your network, HIPS is better designed to detect it than an antivirus/antimalware solution.

Make Building a Strong Security Culture a Top Priority: Making sure that employees have the tools and knowledge at their disposal to spot and stop cyberattacks by building a strong security culture goes a long way towards preventing zero-day attacks from landing. Security awareness training is an important way to accomplish this because when employees understand threats, everyone feels like they’re part of the security team. That fosters good security hygiene and enables employees to spot cyberattacks including zero-day threats. Phishing messages are common vectors for zero-day threats; Google disclosed that 68% of the phishing messages that it stops are zero-day attacks. Browsers are also popular channels for hackers to trick people into downloading malware. Avoid opening suspicious websites or clicking on dubious links. Your system could be infected with malware, which may compromise your company’s network.

Be Vigilant About Patching and Suspected Intrusions:  Ensuring that applications, software and operating systems are patched regularly, ideally immediately upon release of a patch, is vital to stopping cyberattacks from zero-day exploits. Patches are the way that developers fix those problems. Zero-day attacks can be difficult to directly uncover, but there are sometimes warning signs that can point you in the right direction. Any unknown user logins or suspicious account activity is suspect. Be on the lookout for odd behavior in your systems or applications like crashes, lockouts or unexpected changes. Perform regular penetration tests to determine the security of your environment. By identifying and fixing vulnerabilities before hackers, you can avoid potential attacks.

What Is a Zero-Day Patch?

A zero-day patch is a term used to describe a specific or special patch to address zero-day vulnerabilities. It is imperative to deploy these patches immediately to close vulnerabilities and render potential avenues of attack ineffective in order to thwart a cyberattack. 

Stay Vigilant Against Zero-Day Threats With Kaseya 

With Kaseya VSA, you can centrally manage Windows, macOS platforms and third-party application software vulnerabilities with fully automated patch management. This scalable, secure and highly configurable policy-driven approach is location-independent and bandwidth-friendly. 

Besides reviewing and overriding patches, VSA lets you view patch history and automate the deployment and installation of software and patches for both on- and off-network devices. Furthermore, the tool ensures that all machines stay in compliance with patching policies.

Kaseya VSA is a convenient remote monitoring and management (RMM), endpoint management and network monitoring solution that gives your company all the tools it needs to stay secure and successful. Get a free demo to find out how VSA can address the unique security challenges of your company.

Get a Free VSA Demo 

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But after a year of attending business meetings in pajamas and zero-minute commutes, many employees are eager to keep their current work-from-home arrangements, at least some of the time, even after the pandemic is under control. At the same time, businesses are realizing they can save money by reducing their office footprints or eliminate them altogether while tapping into a much broader talent pool.

As businesses transition to a new normal that includes remote work as a regular part of everyday life, they face a host of extra security challenges. More employees working remotely means more opportunity for cybercriminals to breach weaker defenses across a distributed network of personal devices, corporate laptops, unsecured Wi-Fi networks, and exponentially more remote connections to their servers and applications.

MSPs have a unique role to play in this new IT ecosystem. On one hand, they have customers struggling to navigate a remote work world, unsure of how to manage this diaspora of employees and endpoints. At the same time, MSPs are on high alert for security breaches into the systems they manage, desperate to avoid damaging attacks, data theft, and outages.

Here are the three top things MSPs should focus on to secure their clientele’s remote workforce:

Read the complete blog post at Channel Futures.

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What Is National Vulnerability Database (NVD) and Who Maintains It?

National Vulnerability Database (NVD) is a comprehensive database of reported known vulnerabilities which are assigned CVEs. It’s operated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security’s National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center and by the Network Security Deployment.

When Was the NVD Established?

The NVD was originally created in 2000 and was initially called the Internet – Categorization of Attacks Toolkit or ICAT. It then evolved into the repository of vulnerabilities that it is today.

What Does the NVD Provide?

The NVD provides analysis on CVEs – the catalog of known security threats, and does the following:

• Assigns a Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) score to each vulnerability
• Determines the vulnerability types – Common Weakness Enumerations (CWE)
• Defines applicability statements – Common Platform Enumeration (CPE)
• Provides various other pieces of information relevant to the vulnerability’s functionality and exploitability – i.e. how an exploitation can be carried out by cyber criminals.

This information can be used by organizations to prioritize the vulnerabilities and the patches they should be deploying to keep their IT infrastructure safe.

What Scoring Information is Provided for Each Vulnerability?

The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is an open set of standards used to assess a vulnerability and assign a severity on a scale of 0 to 10. The NVD provides CVSS ‘base scores’ which represent the innate characteristics of each vulnerability. The severity ratings as per CVSS v3.0 specifications are:

Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE)

Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) is a standard reporting convention for publicly known security vulnerabilities. Launched in 1999 by MITRE, a government-funded research organization, the CVE catalogs security threats.

Acting as more than a database, CVE enables organizations to set a baseline for their security tools coverage. It allows them to correlate data between vulnerabilities and their security tools services and usage.

What Is the Purpose of CVE?

The main purpose of CVE is to standardize the way a security vulnerability or risk is identified – with an identification number, a description, and at least one public reference. CVE is free to use and publicly accessible. An example of a CVE ID is CVE-2020-16891 which includes the CVE prefix, the year that the CVE ID is assigned or the year the vulnerability is made public and sequence number digits.

The CVE description include details such as the name of the affected product and vendor, a summary of affected versions, the vulnerability type, the impact, the access that an attacker requires to exploit the vulnerability, and the important code components or inputs that are involved.

The CVE reference includes the vulnerability reports, advisories or sources that detail the vulnerability and the exploitation that could occur.

What Is the Difference Between NVD and CVE?

While these two lists/databases are often talked about interchangeably, they are actually separate, though interconnected, entities. CVE is essentially a list of vulnerability entries and NVD is a more robust database that is built upon and fully synchronized with the CVE list so that any updates made to the CVE list appear in the NVD. The NVD also adds the analysis component for each vulnerability, as described above. As per MITRE, the CVE list feeds the NVD. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (DHS CISA) sponsors both.

How Many Vulnerabilities Are Reported Each Year?

The cyber threat landscape is expanding with the evolution of technology and the number of software vulnerabilities being reported is increasing every year. For example, while there were 6,447 vulnerabilities that were identified in 2016, the number roughly doubled to 12,174 in 2019.

Cyberattacks can be orchestrated using the CVE and NVD database information. So, it is important to patch the vulnerabilities affecting your systems in a timely manner to keep your IT systems and data safe. The severity of the vulnerability helps you decide how to prioritize the deployment of patches in your environment.

Kaseya VSA automates software patch management to remediate software vulnerabilities and keep software up to date. With Kaseya VSA, you can monitor vulnerabilities and see the patch status of your entire IT environment in a single console.

Learn more about Kaseya VSA’s patch management by requesting a free trial or a free demo.

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Security breaches are mostly caused by more than one instigator. It can involve hacking, malware, human errors and other factors. According to the 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) by Verizon, about 21 percent of security breaches were due to human errors and 15 percent of the breaches were caused by an application or data misuse by authorized users.  

To prevent breaches, security teams must patch quickly. However, IT teams are held back by manual processes and off-network systems that hinder their ability to patch on time. About 57 percent of cyberattack victims report that their breaches could have been prevented by installing an available patch. 

Automate the Patch Management Process 

The biggest challenge for patch management is the fact that the process is time-consuming and requires constant attention. This can, however, be overcome by automating the various IT processes related to software patching. 

Auto Discovery of Endpoints:  You can’t patch what you can’t see. Auto-discovery of every single endpoint in the IT environment reduces the risk of blind spots and keeps every system in view.  

Create Patch Deployment Policy: Configure how and when to deploy the patches based on your organization’s patching requirements and to minimize network impact. Use a patch management solution that minimizes network bandwidth consumption.

Automate Patch Deployment: Use a systematic and automated solution that deploys scheduled patches across all systems without any manual intervention. 

Scan for Missing Patches: Automate the process of researching the latest patches and determining which patches are missing on systems to ensure that your systems are always up-to-date. Schedule scans for missing patches and updates.

Automate Reporting: An up-to-date patch status and compliance report should be automatically generated in the event of patch deployment. This is helpful for security compliance reporting.

Patch management plays a critical role in ensuring that companies keep their systems fully up-to-date with the latest security patches. A robust patch management solution that provides a single view of all the patches installed on machines across the organization and that automates patching should be a key component of an organization’s IT security strategy. Reduce your cybersecurity risk and ensure that endpoints are in compliance with your security policies. 

Kaseya VSA patch management software provides real-time visibility of the patch status of your entire IT environment, including on and off-network devices. VSA’s Software Management module is powered by policies that allow you to automate software management across platforms and easily address the complexities of software patching. 

To learn more about VSA, request a demo.  

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